Have you ever heard the term “taking a header?”

In the unlikely event that you have, are you familiar with the origin of the term? It’s a bit more arcane than you might have expected.

It originates from lingo associated with the penny farthing, a certain species of odd bike that developed in Europe in the late 1800s.

In case you’ve never heard the expression or seen one of these machines, they are the bikes that had a comically large front wheel with a much smaller trailing rear wheel.

They might look odd, but believe it or not, they were the fastest rigs on the street in their day, faster than both horses and early automobiles.

Anyway, to get back on subject, the expression “taking a header” refers to being pitched over the handlebars, an occurrence that quite unfortunately was not all that uncommon.

It could have serious consequences, as you might expect of an accident that throws the rider over the handlebars, and given the higher height of a penny farthing, even more severe than what migAht be considered typical.

More often than not, a rider would take a header from trying to stop too suddenly. With such a high center of gravity, attempting an abrupt stop would accomplish little more than encouraging the rider to fly right off and over the front.

Now here’s the real kicker. There are still people that ride these odd bikes, and some clubs even still race them semi-professionally. That means that for some people in the world, taking a header is still a very real possibility.

This is, ultimately, why it is so important to be able to effectively brake these odd bikes.

The first and most important thing to remember about braking a penny farthing is that you cannot, under any circumstances, aggressively try to stop. One of you - either you or the bike - is going to keep moving. And you don’t want it to be you.

Therefore, smooth and steady wins the day when it comes to braking a penny farthing. Make sure you ride deliberately, be situationally aware of your path, and start slowing down well ahead of where you actually need to stop.

If you can coast to a stop without even applying the brake, that is even better. However, if you do need to apply the brake, do so gradually, and here’s a helpful tip: get your feet off the pedals and put them on the pegs of the rear fork.

This will accomplish two very important things. One, it will shift your center of gravity in two dimensions, lowering it and moving it further to the rear. The net result of this is that it would take a whole lot more force to throw you over the handlebars than if you were in the saddle.

The second thing is that by putting your feet on the rear pegs, you’ll be putting more pressure on the rear wheel, which is the one that actually has the brake. It will help you slow down, will help the tire bite, and will help prevent skidding.

Just as important is that if you do apply the brake while you’re in the saddle, if you are fortunate enough not to be pitched over the front, all that will happen is the rear tire will skid. You won’t slow down as desired and you’ll wear out the rear tire faster.

And you don’t want that either.

Where to Learn More About These and Other Odd Bikes

Interested in learning more about penny farthings and other odd bikes - or are you even interested in buying one and learning to ride?

Visit Unicycle.com they still sell these and other odd bikes, along with unicycles, parts, tools, safety gear and a lot more. See if you can find what you need on their website or get in touch with them directly for personal assistance.

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