Replica High Wheelers, valuable or just fun?

[yoothgeye]

A guy offered to sell me a replica high wheeler (penny farthing or whatever) yesterday. From the description I think it's about a 48" front wheel. The hub is messed up, he says it slips and he was going to weld it solid, but didn't want to mess it up, which indicates to me that it has a freewheel hub...

Just wondering what a good price on something like this would be.

Hope to have photos soon.

 

[outskirtscustoms]

Depends a lot on the quality of work. I'd say $100-$150 would be fair if it was in riding condition with nice paint, the welds are all nice, and it has a good vintage look to it. I'd let him throw out a price first then offer $50-$75 and see where that gets you.

That's just what I would feel comfortable paying I have no idea.

 

[udallcustombikes]

If it is from ridable replicas the start out at $1200 new. They have cottered cranks so you may just need a pin to fix it.

 

[yoothgeye]

I've already thrown out a price and pretty much know what I can get it for, but I'll share after I get it, you know, I'm going for the shock and awe factor, then someone else will come and tell how theirs was given to them, then another will come and tell how they did some flipping and basically made money getting one, and finally someone will show up and tell a story about how someone paid them to remove it.

 

[Philphine]

don't know if it could be made to interchange (like if more spoke holes needed to be drilled in the hub or crankarm lenth and whatnot), but a front wheel from one of those green machine trikes has a freewheel hub. i think there's a similar next (i think?) trike that has one too, in case that's the problem.

 

[yoothgeye]

don't know if it could be made to interchange (like if more spoke holes needed to be drilled in the hub or crankarm lenth and whatnot), but a front wheel from one of those green machine trikes has a freewheel hub. i think there's a similar next (i think?) trike that has one too, in case that's the problem.

I was thinking the same thing, I have one of those front wheels, it's currently on another "bike" I built, but I've been looking for a reason to cut it up. I doubt I can just lace in that hub, but it might have similar internals.

 

[kingfish254]

Hope you get it!! I am envious.

Check out these photos that we took when we happened across the Omaru Cycle Works in New Zealand 2010.
This guy showed us around the shop and then him and his nephew went for a ride.

 

[yoothgeye]

Hope you get it!! I am envious.

There's pretty much no stopping me from getting it at this point, my main concern was that this was (and maybe there were out there) just a "staue" or something made for display, not an actual bicycle, but the guy has written or at least coasted on it *and* they took it to the bicycle shop about having the hub fixed and were quoted an insane cost for repair, of course, that's what our shop did when they were in business if they really didn't want to mess with something, but they didn't tell him it wasn't a bike. I just wanna get it and ride... everywhere.

 

[outskirtscustoms]

Just remember everything is possible with a welder. I wonder how a penny farthing with a sidecar and a sissy bar would look.

 

[yoothgeye]

Just remember everything is possible with a welder. I wonder how a penny farthing with a sidecar and a sissy bar would look.

I imagine the sissy bar would make the mount/dismount a little... impossible. haha

 

[Dr. Tankenstein]

Dude, make a Big Wheel!

BIG WHEEL! BIG WHEEL! BIG WHEEL! BIG WHEEL! BIG WHEEL!

C'mon, you can do it! Put a couple of OCC wheels on the rear, replace the sprockets with either spin-on disc or scooter brakes. Then you can do power slides by locking up either brake or both!

Like this!

BIG WHEEL! BIG WHEEL! BIG WHEEL! BIG WHEEL! BIG WHEEL!

You're just crazy enough to do it!

Cheers,
Dr. T

 

[outskirtscustoms]

Just remember everything is possible with a welder. I wonder how a penny farthing with a sidecar and a sissy bar would look.

I imagine the sissy bar would make the mount/dismount a little... impossible. haha

I would use the sidecar to climb up anyway. I just think it would look cool Kinda the hardcore chopper that no one could ride.

 

[outskirtscustoms]

Dude, make a Big Wheel!

BIG WHEEL! BIG WHEEL! BIG WHEEL! BIG WHEEL! BIG WHEEL!

C'mon, you can do it! Put a couple of OCC wheels on the rear, replace the sprockets with either spin-on disc or scooter brakes. Then you can do power slides by locking up either brake or both!

Like this!

BIG WHEEL! BIG WHEEL! BIG WHEEL! BIG WHEEL! BIG WHEEL!

You're just crazy enough to do it!

Cheers,
Dr. T

Cool idea. I just bought a welder too. :mrgreen:

 

[SCHWINNRAY69]

This was $500, they are usually double that brand new :wink:
http://www.ratrodbikes.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=16&t=39287&hilit=+boneshaker

 

[streetpirate]

Dude, make a Big Wheel!

BIG WHEEL! BIG WHEEL! BIG WHEEL! BIG WHEEL! BIG WHEEL!

C'mon, you can do it! Put a couple of OCC wheels on the rear, replace the sprockets with either spin-on disc or scooter brakes. Then you can do power slides by locking up either brake or both!

Like this!

BIG WHEEL! BIG WHEEL! BIG WHEEL! BIG WHEEL! BIG WHEEL!

You're just crazy enough to do it!

Cheers,
Dr. T

are there any unicycle parts to use a freewheeling AW style 3 speed hub for the front wheel?

 

[StephenH]

Does it have a pneumatic tire?

Replica high-wheel bicycles are currently available, and go for $1200 or so new. I may be mistaken, but I think all of them had a fixed hub, not a coaster hub. Both the originals and all of the replicas have solid rubber tires.

Coker introduced a smaller high-wheel bicycle called the Wheelman, with a 36" pneumatic tire. And they DID have a coaster-type hub. Those tires are more commonly used on Coker (and other brand) unicycles now. There was also a Monster Cruiser that used the 36" tires. I think the Wheelman sold for $400 or $500 new, it was cheaper than the regular high-wheel replicas.

(The terminology is confusing, but "boneshaker" was normally applied to an even older style of bicycle, not the high-wheel bikes. I think the early "safety bicycles" also used the solid tires, so that was not specific to the high-wheel bikes. However, "Boneshaker" is one of the model names for current reproductions.)

If the bike in question IS the Wheelman, and the hub is toast, and cannot be practically repaired, check into whether the hub can be replaced with a unicycle hub. This might require welding modifications to the forks. This would result in a fixed-gear cycle, but at least rideable.

 

[yoothgeye]

are there any unicycle parts to use a freewheeling AW style 3 speed hub for the front wheel?

I had an "adult sized" big wheel for up to 180 pounds, though me and other 200lb+ riders abused it, I trashed it but saved the front fork and wheel, it has a freewheel hub with cranks laced to a 20" wheel/tire.

Does it have a pneumatic tire?

Replica high-wheel bicycles are currently available, and go for $1200 or so new. I may be mistaken, but I think all of them had a fixed hub, not a coaster hub. Both the originals and all of the replicas have solid rubber tires.

One of the first questions I asked and he said that it did indeed have a solid rubber tire. With what you said I thought back to what he said about the crank slipping, I bet it is a fixed hub but that the crank arm (or arms) are slipping on the shaft, if need be I could weld them solid if they don't look repairable.

Hoping to grab it tomorrow.

 

[udallcustombikes]

Some custom hi-wheelers from around here for inspiration, these pics are from member bicyclerick.

One of the Coasters BC club members has this one. Anytime he brings it around me I have to ride it. Once you mount it, you can't help but smile!

 

[ozzmonaut]

You're lucky yoothgeye. I never see replicas for sale. I'm hoping someone with a replica will get tired of it and I can score one for $500 or less. I don't think it's the kind of thing you get rid of once you have one though. If you get tired of yours let me know.

 

[B607]

If you get it and ride it, make sure you wear a helmet. I never wear helmets, but I would on one of those. I think I'd get one of those rubber mouth things like the football players wear to protect your teeth too. :shock: It's no wonder to me why they did away with those things and replaced them with "safety bikes". Those things look like suicide machines to me. Gary