Can We Even RIDE The Siamese Penny-Farthing?

Quick Overview

The creators successfully rode the Siamese Penny-Farthing, a tandem bicycle built with two penny-farthing style front ends welded back-to-back, completing five specific challenges including riding solo, riding tandem, performing a rear-steer circle, swapping pilot/copilot roles, and crab-walking, proving the highly unstable and counter-intuitive design was rideable despite initial difficulties.

Key Points: The Siamese Penny-Farthing, constructed by welding two unicycle-like bicycle front ends back-to-back with a central drive system, was successfully ridden by two people facing opposite directions. The first challenge, 'Riding Solo,' was successfully completed by one rider, noting that the front wheel's pedal placement caused the front wheel to hit the rider's leg when attempting to turn. Challenge #2, 'Riding Tandem,' required both riders to pedal backward while the pilot (front rider) kept their arms dead straight, which they accomplished, noting the rear rider's backward pedaling was necessary. Challenge #3, 'The Rear Steer Circle,' involved initiating a turn by having the rear rider steer, which resulted in a super tight turn, proving the counter-intuitive steering mechanism worked. Challenge #4, 'Pilot Copilot Swap,' involved reversing roles, where the original pilot (now copilot) had to pedal backward while the original copilot (now pilot) steered forward, which they managed after some practice. Challenge #5, 'Crabwalk,' involved turning both front wheels sideways and pedaling, causing the bike to move sideways, which they also successfully demonstrated. The entire process, especially the tandem maneuvers, was described as incredibly fun but very hard and required constant communication and relaxation from both riders.

Context: The video features two cyclists testing the rideability of a custom-built, highly unusual bicycle referred to as the 'Siamese Penny-Farthing.' This bike is essentially two penny-farthing style bicycles (characterized by one very large front wheel and a small rear wheel, though this custom version uses two equally large wheels connected via a central drivetrain and frame) welded together so the riders face opposite directions. The creators set up five specific challenges to test the bike's stability and maneuverability under various conditions.