With 13,600 kilometres (8,400 miles) already covered on his 19th century "penny farthing" bicycle, a 39-year-old Briton has embarked on one of the toughest legs of his world trek -- China."The lorries in New Zealand have been the worst in any country so far, and one finally managed to get me, breaking my wrist," Summerfield told AFP near China's Great Wall this week on his second day out of Beijing.
The penny farthing is one of the world's earliest bicycles, boasting a giant front wheel that has a 47-inch diameter and a tiny back wheel.
The bike has no chains or gears, making hills extremely difficult to climb and dangerous to descend due to its small brake.
Summerfield said he had always wanted to cycle around the world, but it was only in 1996 when he started building penny farthings that he decided the big wheeler would be his vehicle of choice.
Summerfield also said that he was unaware of the risks of China's roads, some of the most dangerous in the world, where an average of 245 people lost their lives each day last year, many of them cyclists.
Link & Image: Yahoo News
Tags: Cycling | Sport | Penny Farthing
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