High Wheel

The first all metal bicycle appeared around 1876. The pedals were attached to a very large front wheel of solid rubber tires and long spokes. The ride on the High Wheel was smoother than the Velocipede, and the large front wheel allowed farther travel with each rotation. However, the bicycle was dangerous. The rider sat high above the center of gravity, and one small crack or stone could make the rider fly over the handlebars.

High Wheel Bicycle: Image courtesy of the "Pedaling History Bycycle Museum", 2006.

To eliminate the problem of tipping forward, a High Wheel bicycle was designed with the large wheel in the rear and the small wheel in front. This was known as the Safety High Wheel.

Safety High Wheel Bicycle: Image courtesy of the Pedaling History Bicycle Museum, 2006.