In the heart of ancient Sussex is one of the country’s best displays of sheer enthusiasm and practical inventiveness to combat the problems of cycling; from bumpy roads, lack of chains, carrying bulky parcels, to extra-long and short legs, not to mention the bulky woolen clothing (there was no Lycra back then). No matter what the problem, Victorian inventors tried to solve them. Their ingenious efforts make a fascinating display for 21st century cycling and non-cycling visitors.
So how do you solve a problem of bumpy roads with no tarmac? Simple, you put a row of springs around the wheel! How do you carry bulky goods on your bike with ease? If you are Horsham born architect and inventor Edward Burstow, you create an iconic Horsham bike, the ‘pentacycle’.
The original pentacycle was designed and patented by Burstow in 1882. It had a large central wheel directly driven by pedals like a penny farthing bicycle, with a “bath-chair type handle,” and four smaller wheels for stability. This arrangement led to it being referred to as the “hen and chickens” cycle, as it resembled a mother hen surrounded by her four chicks. It was trialled by rural postmen in Horsham and, although liked, the design was not widely adopted.
According to the Postal Museum, postmen complained that the cycle wore out their trousers in the crotch, leaving them with holes in their uniform. Since they had to pay for their own uniforms, they refused to use the cycle and it was consigned to the scrap heap.
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