Ever wondered how a penny farthing rider gets on and off the alarmingly high bike?
Tom Clowes can tell you.
The adventurer, who has scaled Everest and Kilimanjaro, is about to tackle the Hebridean Way on a penny farthing in aid of the Stroke Association.
Tom expects to mount and dismount his 54-inch-wheel bike many times as he navigates his way along the nearly 200-mile route that takes in 10 west coast islands.
So how does he do it?
“There’s a horizontal peg on the back that you can stand on just above the little wheel,” says the 49-year-old from Rogate, England.
“I then scoot along with my right foot as if you’re on a skateboard, and get a bit of speed going. One or two pushes, and then you quickly hop up onto the saddle.”
Simple!
Why is Tom Clowes cycling the Hebridean Way on a penny farthing
At the behest of the P&J, Tom has put together a short video showing exactly how he climbs into the saddle, which you can watch above.
And below he gives us the low down on his upcoming challenge, and why he is riding for the Stroke Association alongside his two friends Jack Ray and Simon Wells, both of whom will be on regular bikes.
Tom’s brother-in-law Paul Young died of a stroke in 2017 at just 59, while Jack, known as Woody, is taking on the challenge in memory of his sister Cynthia Ray McDonald, who died in November last year following a stroke.
Simon completes the group, dedicating his contribution in memory of his mother June Wells, following her death in October.
“It’s quite sentimental, really, for all of us,” says Tom.
The trio start their Hebridean adventure on Wednesday May 17 when they jump on the Caledonian Sleeper train to Glasgow.
They then travel to Oban where they board a ferry to Barra before cycling down to the start of the Hebridean Way at Vatersay.
From there it is just shy of 200 miles to the finish line at Butt of Lewis.
However, the journey doesn’t end there. Tom and his friends will then have to backtrack to Stornoway to catch the ferry to Ullapool before cycling the 60 or so miles to Inverness along the A835.
“I’m not looking forward to that,” Tom says. “I think that’s quite a busy road.”
From Everest to the Outer Hebrides
After a life spent scaling mountains, including an ascent of Everest in 2006 with his brother Ben, Tom now looks for lower altitude adventures using various modes of transport.
He believes he will be the first person to cycle the Hebridean Way on a penny farthing.
He got into unicycling about eight years ago, and first jumped on a penny farthing last year. He enjoys the reaction he gets when out training on the South Downs in East Sussex.
“People get their phones out,” he says. “It’s rather a beautiful thing, this huge wheel. And of course, it’s quite a romantic object.”
Tom bought his penny farthing from a specialist retailer in Sweden. It is a replica of a 19th century model called a ‘high wheeler’ and does not have any brakes.
Stopping is achieved by pushing back on the pedals and slowing the fixed wheel.
There are no gears either, which means Tom will probably have to get off and push on gradients above 7%.
If all of this sounds dangerous, then that’s because it is.
The high centre of gravity means penny farthing riders are in constant danger of tipping over their handlebars.
Tom has fallen off a few times while playing polo on his penny farthing, but that is on to grass.
The roads of the Outer Hebrides are much harder. And there are other dangers such as potholes or animals that dart out in front of you.
“It is quite dangerous,” Tom admits. “I mean, I wouldn’t tell my wife that, but it is.”
Ferry hoping on the Hebridean Way
The group expect to complete their journey in about 10 days, camping along the way.
The Caledonian MacBrayne ferry company that operates the routes between the Hebridean Way islands has agreed to cover the ticket costs, which Tom is delighted about.
The trains, however, are a different prospect. Tom has booked bike spaces but he hopes no one will ask too many questions.
“I haven’t told them I’m bringing a penny farthing,” he says.
Tom has set up a Just Giving page and aims to raise £10,000 for the Stroke Association. To donate, or to read more about Tom’s journey, click here.
