California Bicycle Museum

The high-wheel bicycle evolved from the boneshakers through two principal advances: The first incorporated design improvements spawned by boneshaker racing. Cyclists knew that a larger front wheel would be faster, and they discovered through experimentation that the rear wheel could be made smaller. The second area of innovation included manufacturing improvements through mass production in factories, metallurgy improvements with lighter and stronger steel tubing, and engineering advances—most notably the mechanized production of steel ball-bearings.

Although popular, the high-wheel bicycle did have a major design problem. With the rider perched high above the front wheel, any sudden stop could launch the rider forward and over the handlebars in a devastating crash that soon became known as a “header.” Designers attacked this problem by offering a treadle drive that would place the rider’s weight lower and further back. Tricycles and tandem tricycles (with chain drive) soon evolved as a safer alternative, and in 1880 the Star bicycle—also called the “safety high wheel”—placed the small wheel in the front of the machine to solve the header problem.

Highwheel tricycles were common during the highwheel era. Easier to ride than the classic “penny farthings”, they could also be ridden by women whose Victorian era apparel prohibited riding most two-wheelers. They were also commonly used by professional men such as doctors and clergymen who wished to travel in a more dignified and sedate manner than the highwheel bicycles would allow.

Manufacturer: Unknown

Location: Unknown

Museum Collection

University of California