On Saturday, May 18, from 3-4:00 PM, Henrietta Hankin Branch Library will welcome Thomas Hawkins to present a fascinating program on the evolution of the bicycle from the high wheel (or Penny Farthing) bicycle to the modern bike. 

Hawkins will explore how these high-wheel bicycles enjoyed their 15 years of fantastic fame in the 1880s and how, in modern times, the ordinary high-wheel bicycle is experiencing a revival in manufacturing and racing. After the talk concludes, Hawkins will demonstrate how to ride both an antique reproduction 1886 Victor High Wheel and a modern Swedish Racing High Wheel in the Henrietta Hankin Library parking lot.

Hawkins has been riding and racing Penny-Farthing bicycles in the United States and Europe for eight years. He was immediately fascinated by these strange and dangerous machines from his first ride and race in the Clustered Spires High Wheel Race in Frederick, Maryland in 2015.

Since then, he began to research in earnest the history of these early bicycles. In 1817, a Frenchman invented the Hobby Horse for walking and gliding while sitting on two wheels. Around 1865, pedals were attached to the front wheel, and the Velocipede was created. By 1870, a series of inventions allowed the creation of the Penny Farthing Bicycle, which underwent a huge surge in popularity in England and the United States. 

These high-wheel bicycles became so common that they were known as ordinary bicycles, or simply “ordinaries.” The high-wheel bicycle was rather unsafe, with a high center of gravity and almost no brakes. In a few short years, the modern shaped bicycle was invented, and the “safety” bicycle, with its wheels of equal size, a diamond frame, and the rear wheel powered by a chain drive was invented. This is essentially the same design as is used today in all modern bikes, 130 years later.

Born in England, Hawkins has lived and worked as a Tropical Forester in Nepal and Honduras. As a Research Associate with Missouri Botanical Garden, he made many plant-collecting expeditions to the Cloud Forests of Central and South America. When not riding high-wheel bicycles, Hawkins enjoys the less-dangerous pastime of cave exploration, both in the United States and overseas.

Registration for the event is required and can be done online or by calling the library at 610-344-4196. 

Learn more at Chester County Library & District Center. The mission of the Chester County and Henrietta Hankin Branch Libraries is to provide informational, educational, and cultural services to the residents of Chester County so that they may be lifelong learners. The Henrietta Hankin Branch Library is located at 215 Windgate Drive, Chester Springs.