“High wheeling” in historic Frederick
Bicycle enthusiasts gathered in historic downtown Frederick to show off their “high wheel” bicycles and compete in the Frederick Clustered Spires High Wheel Race. The one-hour criterium race took cyclists around a course that is 0.4 miles long.
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- Steve Weddles of Greencastle, Pa., rides in the 2014 Frederick Clustered Spires High Wheel Race. (Kim Hairston/Baltimore Sun)
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- Haken Rhoten, 9, waits to ride in the 2014 Frederick Clustered Spires High Wheel Race. His father, Chris Rhoten, built the frame of the penny farthing bicycle from a scythe snath. (Kim Hairston/Baltimore Sun)
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- Riders in the 2014 Frederick Clustered Spires High Wheel Race line up together and balance by holding onto each other’s handle bars before the race. The Uruguay flag is held by Oscar Bernatsky, who traveled from that country to participate. The event, billed as the “only high wheel race of its kind in America,” is held in historic downtown Frederick. (Kim Hairston/Baltimore Sun)
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- James Woodward of Merrimack, N.H., shows it is possible to ride a high wheel bicycle from an even more elevated position. Woodward shows his skill, balancing on his 1885 52″ Victor penny farthing, on North Market Street before the start of the race. (Kim Hairston/Baltimore Sun)
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- Brian Weber of Gerrardstown, W.Va., leans on the frame of his Josef Mesicek penny farthing bicycle as he listens to instructions before riders line up for the 2014 Frederick Clustered Spires High Wheel Race. (Kim Hairston/Baltimore Sun)
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- Susan Au of Frederick, and her daughter, Jaedyn Fitzpatrick, 7, wait for riders doing laps in the 2014 Frederick Clustered Spires High Wheel Race. (Kim Hairston/Baltimore Sun)
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- Riders in the 2014 Frederick Clustered Spires High Wheel Race line up together and balance by holding onto each other’s handle bars before the start of the race. Oscar Bernatsky of Uruguay, left, traveled the farthest. Brian Caron of Hagerstown, center, won the men’s race with 41 laps in one hour. (Kim Hairston/Baltimore Sun)
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- Riders in the 2014 Frederick Clustered Spires High Wheel Race line up together and balance by holding onto each other’s handle bars before the start of the race. (Kim Hairston/Baltimore Sun)
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- Riders in the 2014 Frederick Clustered Spires High Wheel Race line up for photos as they balance on their bicycles by holding onto each other’s handle bars. The penny farthing race, billed as the “only high wheel race of its kind in America,” is held in historic downtown Frederick. (Kim Hairston/Baltimore Sun)
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- Sporting a face-painted handlebar mustache, Meg Coyle of Frederick watches the 2014 Frederick Clustered Spires High Wheel Race. (Kim Hairston/Baltimore Sun)
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- Riders in the 2014 Frederick Clustered Spires High Wheel Race. Billed as the “only high wheel race of its kind in America,” the event is held in historic downtown Frederick. (Kim Hairston/Baltimore Sun)
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- A rider sports a colorful outfit in the 2014 Frederick Clustered Spires High Wheel Race. (Kim Hairston/Baltimore Sun)
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- From left, Steve Weddles of Greencastle, Pa., rides a 2014 Nutter-CZ Phase I, and Brian Caron of Hagerstown rides a 1882 Expert Columbia, pedal the course along N. Market Street. (Kim Hairston/Baltimore Sun)
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- Riders take a warm-up lap before the competition begins. The 2014 Frederick Clustered Spires High Wheel Race, billed as the “only high wheel race of its kind in America,” is held in historic downtown Frederick. (Kim Hairston/Baltimore Sun)
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- Angela Long of West Friendship chose high heels for pedaling her high wheels. Long is competing in the 2014 Frederick Clustered Spires High Wheel Race for the third time. (Kim Hairston/Baltimore Sun)
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- Alison Torpey of Louisville, Ky., who is dressed as a jockey, rides a 1886 Expert Columbia penny farthing or high wheel bicycle in the 2014 Frederick Clustered Spires High Wheel Race. (Kim Hairston/Baltimore Sun)
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- Steve Weddles of Greencastle, Pa., participates in the 2014 Frederick Clustered Spires High Wheel Race. (Kim Hairston/Baltimore Sun)
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- From left, Angela Long of West Friendship, Lori Woodward of Merrimack, N.H., and Haig Colter of Bethesda race their penny farthings in the 2014 Frederick Clustered Spires High Wheel Race. (Kim Hairston/Baltimore Sun)
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- Sheryl Kennedy of Hagerstown rides in the 2014 Frederick Clustered Spires High Wheel Race. She was the female winner after completing 38 laps of the half mile loop in an hour. (Kim Hairston/Baltimore Sun)
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- Haig Colter of Bethesda is cheered by the crowd as he pumps his fist during a lap in the 2014 Frederick Clustered Spires High Wheel Race. (Kim Hairston/Baltimore Sun)
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- Alison Torpey of Louisville, Ky., who is dressed as a jockey, rides a 1886 Expert Columbia penny farthing on N. Market Street in the 2014 Frederick Clustered Spires High Wheel Race. (Kim Hairston/Baltimore Sun)
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- Larry Black of Mt. Airy races his 2000 Mesicek in the 2014 Frederick Clustered Spires High Wheel Race. (Kim Hairston/Baltimore Sun)
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- From left, James and Lori Woodward of Merrimack, N.H., with arms upon each other’s shoulders, ride their high wheel bicycles on North Market Street before the start of the 2014 Frederick Clustered Spires High Wheel Race. James is on a 1885 52″ Victor and Lori pedals a 1889 49″ Columbia Light Roadster. This is her first criterium. (Kim Hairston/Baltimore Sun)
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- Riders take a warm-up lap before the competition begins. (Kim Hairston/Baltimore Sun)
The bicycle design, from the late 1800s, is also called an “ordinary” or a “penny-farthing” because it resembles a British penny and farthing coin. Some of the bicycles in the race are original. Others are built recently using the same distinctively large front wheel and small rear wheel design.
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