https://newatlas.com/bicycles/penn-e-farthing-hubless-wheel-electric-penny-farthing/ * SUBSCRIBE AD-FREE * LOG IN * HOME * LIFESTYLE + Health & Wellbeing + Outdoors + Tiny Houses + Architecture + Around the Home + Good Thinking + Holiday Destinations + View all LIFESTYLE categories + Health & Wellbeing + Outdoors + Tiny Houses + Architecture + Around the Home + Good Thinking + Holiday Destinations + View all LIFESTYLE categories * SCIENCE + Energy + Medical + Space + Materials + Biology + Environment + Physics + View all SCIENCE categories + Energy + Medical + Space + Materials + Biology + Environment + Physics + View all SCIENCE categories * TECHNOLOGY + Photography + Military + Mobile Technology + Games + Drones + Home Entertainment + Deals + View all TECHNOLOGY categories + Photography + Military + Mobile Technology + Games + Drones + Home Entertainment + Deals + View all TECHNOLOGY categories * TRANSPORT + Automotive + Aircraft + Bicycles + Motorcycles + Marine + Urban Transport + View all TRANSPORT categories + Automotive + Aircraft + Bicycles + Motorcycles + Marine + Urban Transport + View all TRANSPORT categories (c) 2023 New Atlas New Atlas logo Menu * HOME * LIFESTYLE + Health & Wellbeing + Outdoors + Tiny Houses + Architecture + Around the Home + Good Thinking + Holiday Destinations + View all LIFESTYLE categories * SCIENCE + Energy + Medical + Space + Materials + Biology + Environment + Physics + View all SCIENCE categories * TECHNOLOGY + Photography + Military + Mobile Technology + Games + Drones + Home Entertainment + Deals + View all TECHNOLOGY categories * TRANSPORT + Automotive + Aircraft + Bicycles + Motorcycles + Marine + Urban Transport + View all TRANSPORT categories * SUBSCRIBE AD-FREE * LOG IN Show Search [ ]Search Query Submit Search Bicycles Hubless-wheel electric penny farthing is a one-of-a-kind masterpiece By Ben Coxworth December 15, 2023 * Facebook * Twitter * Flipboard * LinkedIn Inline image / # Hubless-wheel electric penny farthing is a one-of-a-kind masterpiece Christopher Terpstra with his finally-complete penn-E-farthing Christopher Terpstra with his finally-complete penn-E-farthing Christopher Terpstra View 4 Images 1/4 Christopher Terpstra with his finally-complete penn-E-farthing Christopher Terpstra 2/4 The motor, battery and rear wheel came off a Razor MX350 Dirt Rocket motorbike Christopher Terpstra 3/4 The penn-E-farthing's front wheel passes through three sets of rubber rollers - one set can clearly be seen at the left Christopher Terpstra 4/4 A still from a video of Chris' inaugural ride - he's had the penn-E-farthing up to a top speed of about 14 mph (23 km/h) Christopher Terpstra [icon-mouse-sc] View gallery - 4 images Although their advantages over conventional bicycles are debatable, hubless-wheel ebikes certainly look futuristic. Penny farthings, on the other hand, definitely do not. It only makes sense, then, that YouTuber Christopher Terpstra would combine the two in his one-off penn-E-farthing. Terpstra lives just outside Chicago, and has a degree in Industrial Design from the Milwaukee Institute of Art and Design. He worked as a retail fixture design engineer for 15 years, and first came to our attention back in 2015 when he developed a four-wheel-steering electric off-road skateboard. Some of his other projects - featured on his Chris Makes Stuff YouTube channel - have included a six-wheeled garden tractor, a plastic-tube electric outboard motor, and a stretched chopper bike. His latest creation, the penn-E-farthing, is basically a penny farthing bicycle with a hubless front wheel and a motorized rear wheel. It sports a custom tubular steel frame, a custom laminated maple/oak plywood front wheel, plus a 350-watt motor, battery and rear wheel scavenged from a Razor MX350 Dirt Rocket children's electric motorbike. The penn-E-farthing's front wheel passes through three sets of rubber rollers - one set can clearly be seen at the left Christopher Terpstra The 52-inch front wheel is unpowered, and is held in place by three sets of frame-mounted rubber rollers which its rim passes through. Its solid rubber tire is composed of cut-apart V-belts (typically looped through pulleys in mechanical systems) which were glued and nailed to the rim. "I knew that making the wheel in a layered ply construction would be the strongest approach, but I didn't fully grasp the amount of time it would take to do," Terpstra told us. "Being an amateur woodworker with dated tools and homemade jigs also added to the fun. After designing it in CAD, I was semi-confident it would work, but you never really know until you hop on and twist the throttle." Hop on and twist the throttle he did, though, and the penn-E-farthing worked just as intended. That said, Chris doesn't plan on making any others like it for paying clients - it was just something that he was drawn to build. The motor, battery and rear wheel came off a Razor MX350 Dirt Rocket motorbike Christopher Terpstra "My inspiration for the bike is a mix of Dr. Seuss creations as well as the movie Wild Wild West," he said. "In that movie, the main character Artemus Gordon is an inventor who created a steam-powered flying highwheel bike. I always thought that was cool and thought I could build it. Although this one doesn't fly ... yet." The build process - and the first shaky ride - are documented in the following video. INSANE E-bike Penny Farthing - Hubless, Motorized, High Wheel, electric bicycle build View gallery - 4 images Tags BicyclesebikesRetroDIYInventors * Facebook * Twitter * Flipboard * LinkedIn No comments Ben Coxworth Ben Coxworth Based out of Edmonton, Canada, Ben Coxworth has been writing for New Atlas since 2009 and is presently Managing Editor for North America. An experienced freelance writer, he previously obtained an English BA from the University of Saskatchewan, then spent over 20 years working in various markets as a television reporter, producer and news videographer. Ben is particularly interested in scientific innovation, human-powered transportation, and the marine environment. 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