this post was submitted on 24 Jul 2025
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micromobility - Bikes, scooters, boards: Whatever floats your goat, this is micromobility

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Ebikes, bicycles, scooters, skateboards, longboards, eboards, motorcycles, skates, unicycles, heelies, or an office chair: Whatever floats your goat, this is all things micromobility!

"Transportation using lightweight vehicles such as bicycles or scooters, especially electric ones that may be borrowed as part of a self-service rental program in which people rent vehicles for short-term use within a town or city.

micromobility is seen as a potential solution to moving people more efficiently around cities"

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67
Canadian woman breaks two speed records on penny farthing bike - UPI.com (www.upi.com)
submitted 1 week ago by _haha_oh_wow_@sh.itjust.works to c/micromobility@lemmy.world
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[–] partial_accumen@lemmy.world 26 points 1 week ago (1 children)

This Canadian athlete broke this record on a track in Tasmania. This suggests that she had to travel to Tasmania to do this, but also ship her competition penny farthing. Its possibly too expensive for air freight, so she might have had to ship it ahead of time. This means that she would have been without her competition penny farthing for the days/weeks needed to ship it. Being the world record holder, I have to assume she has at least one other penny farthing she uses for training while her main one is out of reach.

So here she is owning at least two penny farthings, while you and I are sitting here like chumps owning zero. What are we doing with our lives?!

[–] captainlezbian@lemmy.world 3 points 1 week ago

I have too many safety bicycles to fit a penny farthing in my home

[–] HubertManne@piefed.social 11 points 1 week ago (1 children)

I think I would like to see a penny farthing bike race.

[–] sxan@midwest.social 5 points 1 week ago (1 children)

Only if they play appropriate penny farthing music.

[–] HubertManne@piefed.social 6 points 1 week ago (1 children)

like the benny hill song?

[–] sxan@midwest.social 5 points 1 week ago

Yes! That'd be perfect. Or something from the early 20th century player through a gramophone.

[–] _haha_oh_wow_@sh.itjust.works 9 points 1 week ago (2 children)

Imagine getting passed by a penny farthing...

[–] AlligatorBlizzard@sh.itjust.works 8 points 1 week ago

I have an e-bike. I think it's hilarious when I'm on the bike paths doing 20 mph and some MAMIL passes me. Her top speed is about 26 mph and yeah getting passed by a penny farthing would be even funnier.

[–] Presently42@lemmy.ca 3 points 1 week ago (2 children)

Having very not read the article, does it mention the speed? Maybe all the effort is just getting the thing to move at all, and it only goes at roughly walking pace

[–] partial_accumen@lemmy.world 10 points 1 week ago (1 children)

Having very not read the article, does it mention the speed?

It does!

[–] Presently42@lemmy.ca 0 points 1 week ago (1 children)

Is the speed a Fibonacci number?

[–] partial_accumen@lemmy.world 6 points 1 week ago (1 children)

Its not a secret. Its in the article.

[–] Presently42@lemmy.ca 0 points 1 week ago (1 children)

Well go on then, don't keep the not-secret a secret!

[–] partial_accumen@lemmy.world 10 points 1 week ago (1 children)

Oh, gotcha! Here's the link to the article right here for you to get that number:

https://www.upi.com/Odd_News/2025/07/23/canada-Guinness-World-Records-penny-farthing/1911753284806/

[–] Presently42@lemmy.ca 1 points 1 week ago (1 children)

LOOOOOL

This is well done. Sadly, the number is what's needed, not the link 🤷

[–] partial_accumen@lemmy.world 7 points 1 week ago (1 children)

Oh, no worries! Just click on that link and you see it right on your screen! Its THAT easy!

[–] Presently42@lemmy.ca -1 points 1 week ago (1 children)

Waaaah! Amazing! Can you show me the way? Maybe a little sneak peak of the number?

[–] partial_accumen@lemmy.world 11 points 1 week ago

Waaaah! Amazing! Can you show me the way?

Of course, friend!

Once you click on the link, you'll see the article. I'll even do the hard part for you of finding it. Its the fourth sentence in the article. You'll find the answer there. I helpfully took a screenshot even put a black box where you need to look for your answer.

I hope that helps!

[–] _haha_oh_wow_@sh.itjust.works 4 points 1 week ago* (last edited 1 week ago)

47 mph

Source: I made it up!

Seriously though, almost 26 mph.

[–] TomMasz@lemmy.world 6 points 1 week ago (2 children)

This is wild. At least she was on a track, which minimized the chances of getting thrown violently forward in a sudden stop. I'll stick with my safety bicycle, thanks.

[–] cubism_pitta@lemmy.world 3 points 1 week ago (1 children)

I don't imagine stopping too fast on a penny-farthing is much of an issue.

They are brakeless so its all about pedal resistance... with no mechanical advantage

She is a tank though; her leg muscles are massive I bet she has great control and can get it stopped no problem at reasonable speeds

[–] TomMasz@lemmy.world 2 points 1 week ago (1 children)

Some of them had a "spoon brake" that was controlled from the handlebars. From what I can gather, it was a spoon-shaped piece of metal that applied friction to the wheel. Not a hydraulic disc, but more than just the legs. Her track bike probably didn't have one, though.

[–] cubism_pitta@lemmy.world 2 points 1 week ago

That would make sense. Especially being that a penny-farthing is all of the worst things of fixed gear.... made more difficult and dangerous

[–] sxan@midwest.social 3 points 1 week ago

laughs in 50mph solowheel

[–] mysticpickle@lemmy.ca 4 points 1 week ago

For all the old timey bike haters out there:

[–] nilloc@discuss.tchncs.de 3 points 1 week ago (1 children)

Is there a rule about crank length?

It looks like a longer crank would both bring down her cadence a bit and make the acceleration easier off the line no?

[–] _haha_oh_wow_@sh.itjust.works 1 points 6 days ago

There's probably diminishing returns on crank length and practical limits depending on how long your legs are, but IDK about specific rules.