there goes the neighbourhood ordinary ratrod!

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well never thought id get a chance to do a ordinary ratrod.its been outside for 30 years and its bent and abused,but ive already started on it.this wont be a fast build but a learning process,i even have to build a machine to put solid rubber tires on it.its a 52 inch wheel.it will be called,- THE WIDOW MAKER-..wish me luck and any ideas are welcome.its gonna be oven baked enamel black,with polished metal.

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What kind of bike stand does it fit on...?..One with a Ladder.. :lol:
 
ive never rode one,but i sat on it in my house and i think there is 9 or 10ft ceilings and i was a few inches from the ceiling.i know a good use for car and truck roofs now,when i stop i can put my foot on their roofs.im 5;11 and i adjusted the seat down and i can reach the pedals.has anyone ever rode a hiwheel?haha this thing makes me laugh,got to start growin a handlebar mustache ha!
 
i tried it once. i think it takes nerve and balance to start (and stop) then i suppose after that, it's like riding a bike :wink:
 
Search "highwheel" on youtube,there are a couple of videos of how to mount and dismount a highwheeler
 
ya i watched everything i could,it wont be that bad-just stopping,ow ya you cant! i pushed it around my parking lot and didnt find it that bad,thing is your really high and that wheel is like a flywheel,i guess i will figure it out.i want to maybe do some flat black spider webs and pointed nuts.i got a couple of 8 balls also.it is getting shovel handles on the end of the bars.im file-ing some pedal arms right now hand file,cant think of what i want it to look like.the rear wheel goes and gets replaced with a 11 inch solid tire rim.
 
im diggin the name you gave it. my lbs has one they keep out by the road during shop hours and he actually brings it out for our critical mass ride and cruises it for about two hours. its awesome having that riding with us. i think theirs is a '60s repop. im excited for this build :D
 
Great concept & name...never seen a penny farthing kustomed beyond maybe a bright paint job for a clown...hard to come up with something truly different anymore, but you're well on your way...
IMO, you gotta do something with all those spokes-paint them gold or red maybe? Some pinstriping could look good on the frame & fork...hmmm, truss rods would look sweet...how's about a big saddle from an old Exercycle or a tractor seat?
I'm sure a springer would only make it harder to ride (of course it would have to be fabbed up--that's one big fork!) but just think of it...Oh, and a HUGE headlight. Can't wait to see what you come up with.
 
Cool stuff. I would think it would be a real hard task finding replacement spokes for the front wheel?
 
I'm not one to push helmet use on bikes but with a bike like that it would be wise. Tipping over forward and hitting your head was a common problem with highwheelers. Why do you think they called modern bikes "safety bikes"? Good luck! Gary
 
B607 said:
I'm not one to push helmet use on bikes but with a bike like that it would be wise. Tipping over forward and hitting your head was a common problem with highwheelers. Why do you think they called modern bikes "safety bikes"? Good luck! Gary

Good point. :shock: Highwheelers are a bit funny to me actually, for that reason. Don't get me wrong though, I'm just pondering and they are so cool - I'm very jealous of this one! :wink: I guess what seems funny to me is that these were one of the earliest attempts at a bike. It just wouldn't occur to me to design a bike with two extremely opposite wheels, constructed so that you are often poised for a nose dive. It doesn't seem at all like a practical mode of transportation, and I'd love to know why these were designed this way. I had heard that bicycles early on were more of a toy- a short lived fad of the wealthy of the time- maybe that's what this design was born out of? Show over practicality? or is it that a large front wheel rolls so easily in comparison to smaller wheels. Like Gary said, diamond frames were nicknamed the "safety frame" in their early years, which makes sense, I guess! :wink: Can't wait to see where this one goes.
 
Highwheelers were first made in the late 1800S and they used wagonwheels thus the large wheel. I have two highwheelers and ride them in all the parades, and have taken quite a few falls. lol Heres mine.
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