What is a High Wheeler? - Ohio Bicycle History

The name high-wheeler or highwheeler refers to an early style of automobile design, but also to a style of antique bicycle. There are several different names for this type of large-wheeled bicycle. I am familiar with some of them, because my father's employer actually made these bicycles in the 19th century and employees enjoyed making them. The high-wheeler was a fad of sorts, but they often appear in parades today and antiques sell for large amounts of money.

The Jeffrey Manufacturing Company located in Columbus, Ohio, in North Carolina, and elsewhere became better known for mining and industrial machinery, but in the 1880's they made high-wheeled bicycles. These bikes included special safety features that prevented the rider from flying over the top of the bike. However, this type of bicycle became less popular after 1890 and was replaced by bikes with equal-sized wheels; but in 1887, the Jeffrey high wheeled safety bike was all the rage. The company went on to produce mining and other machinery, manufactured items for WWII, and returned to mining machinery. It closed down in the late 20th Century, its manufacturing floor to become the State Library of Ohio on East First Avenue in Columbus. If you visit today, you can view photos of the old plant along all the walls.

Another name for this type of bicycle is the penny-farthing, which might indicate that this is the British version of the two-wheeler from the 19th Century -- A penny and a farthing placed side by side resemble the wheels of the bicycle. A nickname for this type of bicycle is high-wheeler. It was also called the ordinary bicycle. The first vision of this vehicle was called the bone-shaker and it's rear wheel was not so much smaller. It did jostle the rider quite thoroughly.

Another name brand for the high-wheeler is the Columbia Expert 1883 - 1885. The Columbia Expert was built in Boston, Connecticut by the Pope Manufacturing Company. One of these bicycles was ridden as late as 1984 in the Ride Across America event and it likely appears at other biking events.

The company for which my father worked for 40 years - Jeffrey Manufacturing Company, in partnership with Gormully in Chicago, Illinois made the 1887 American Safety version of the famous two-wheeled bicycle with the gigantic front wheel. It was called the G and J American Safety Bicycle. See a 1889 version of the G and J here.

The aviation Wright Brothers had a famous bicycle shop in Dayton, Ohio before they flew their first airplane at Kitty Hawk, North Carolina. Thus, there is a lot of bicycle history in Ohio and a lot of biking rails. Large bicycle clubs have formed and internationally known bike races and tours begin in Columbus, Ohio quite often - like the Pelotonia that benefits cancer research.

If you have the opportunity, visit the Bicycle Museum of America, in Ohio at:

• 7 West Monroe Street
• New Bremen, Ohio 45869
• (419) 629-9249

The museum includes the historic C and J Safety Bicycle that you might enjoy seeing.

Chapters Seven and Eight in the book Bicycle,by David Herlihy (2004) are devoted to the High-Wheel Era. These chapters contain many pictures, cartoons, posters, and photographs of the famous bikes.