Victorian Sussex showcased outstanding shows of engineering ingenuity, the place inventors tackled numerous biking challenges from bumpy unpaved roads to the impracticalities of woolen clothes with boundless enthusiasm and creativity.
h/t: vintag.es
Amongst these innovators was Horsham architect Edward Burstow, who in 1882 patented the ‘pentacycle,’ an ingenious machine that includes a big central wheel pushed by pedals, complemented by 4 smaller stabilizing wheels, incomes it the nickname “hen and chickens cycle.”
The pentacycle was initially designed to resolve sensible issues like navigating tough roads and transporting cumbersome parcels, with different inventors of the period proposing options corresponding to including springs round wheels for a smoother trip.
Whereas rural postmen in Horsham initially examined the pentacycle, they finally rejected it resulting from an unlucky design flaw: it wore holes within the crotch of their uniforms, which they needed to pay for themselves.
Regardless of its eventual consignment to the scrap heap, the pentacycle and different Victorian biking improvements now kind a captivating show for contemporary guests, showcasing the period’s outstanding spirit of sensible problem-solving.
