high-wheeled bicycles by standard highwheels for modern-day penny farthing

high-wheeled bicycles by standard highwheels for luxury penny farthing
all images courtesy standard highwheels

established in 2013 by swedish architect per-olof kippel, standard highwheels reintroduces the challenge and drama of high-wheel bicycles. the unlikely marriage of man and machine becomes evident on a penny farther, an image lost by the ubiquity of conventional bikes.

the hand-made high-wheel bicycles are direct drive, meaning the cranks and pedals are directly connected to the hub; the front wheel can be enlarged to increase maximum speed – the bigger the wheel, the faster the bike. the frame is constructed out of a single tube that follows the circumference of the front wheel, diverting to a trailing rear wheel. all parts and components have been carefully designed; the bike features a high quality stainless steel handlebar, a classic leather saddle and polished hub and pedals. they come in two sizes – 48 and 52 inches – and can be slightly adjusted by changing the crank arm length.

the unlikely marriage of man and machine becomes evidently obvious on a penny farther

 each high-wheel bicycle is built by hand

the bike features a high quality stainless steel handlebar, a classic leather saddle and polished hub and pedals

 detail views

you can buy a high-wheeled bicycle by standard highwheels here