Early bicycle…

Early bicycle, popular in the 1870s and 1880s, with a very large front wheel and a much smaller rear one. The pedals were fixed directly to the front hub, so a bigger wheel covered more ground with each turn. Riders perched high above the ground and risked being thrown over the handlebars. The later nickname compared it to two old British coins of different sizes. Safer chain-driven designs replaced it.

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