Is it Possible to Cycle From Paris to London on a Penny Farthing?

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I bought a penny farthing, a bicycle that looks odd at first, first developed it in the 1870s and quickly I found out the hard way that it’s also incredibly hard to ride. So naturally, what I thought after falling on the bike, the next logical step would be to try and ride it from London to Paris. No gears, one small break, and a design that belongs in a museum. What could possibly go wrong? So, the plan was to go from Big Ben in London all the way down to New Haven, catch the ferry, and then get to Dip and then scurry through Normandy before making it to Paris, the Eiffel Tower. But the journey doesn’t begin there. The journey begins at 5:00 a.m. in Oxford as I make my way onto the train with one of the most unusual bikes. I got to London and made my way to Big Ben. Big Ben wasn’t just the starting point. It was also the point where we would be meeting my friend Jasmine, who was going to be the camera operator for the trip. It wasn’t just Jasmine who thought this bike was quite funny. We also saw behind her the police officers guarding the parliament were taking a brief break to just catch the glimpses. Before we departed, we had to get a photo with Big Ben. Big Ben is such a symbol of time. Fitting really, because this trip is going to take a lot of that. We were quickly getting quite a lot of attention from passers by as well for the bike. And obviously given the very odd figure of the bike, this would become a very common theme along the ride. And we even got our first picture as well. But then came the moment that everyone had been waiting for. Could I actually ride this thing or had I just been deceiving everyone, including myself? So, we’re going to make it out of London and then get into less busy roads. For the time being, London was what we had to navigate. London wasn’t easy at all. The traffic was thick. The roads were angry. Get in. We also saw the warmer side of London with plenty of people giving us the thumbs up, including a very nice bus driver. And in that moment, I knew we were definitely winning. We were finally getting into some of the more greener area and around this point I was starting to feel the penny faring. It was actually hard to pedal and I did need to make sure to be fueled all the time with a lot of people around. I decided that this was better to walk as I still wasn’t too comfortable with other people around me on the bike. And that foot bridge, it looked like it wasn’t very penny faring designed. And when we got to the end of the bridge, we even came across a dog that had a very perplexed view and was confused with the bike. [Music] [Laughter] Well done. With the park behind me, I had one goal in mind. Speed. A lonely stretch of road, a speed camera, a dream. Perhaps most people fear these things. I was trying to impress this one. Nothing. Not even a flicker. Turns out 12 mph isn’t exactly a public threat. But then validation, not from the camera, from a woman with her child. Jasmine was the chief navigator and it was great to see that we were actually seeing signs going to Paris already in the UK. But the start of that sign also gave a start to another thing and that was a big grueling hill that unfortunately on this penny faring just couldn’t happen. My legs were about to explode as I was going up this climb. So I had to try and get off and even tried to run. must finally remember that his penny faring has [Music] pedals. However, we were getting out of the clutches of London and closer to more of West Sussex and ever closer to New Haven. Bigger roads and we were pushing on. But turns out I wasn’t alone on the road. In fact, I had built up an entire traffic jam behind me. No one was angry, but we felt like at this point we had to do something about it. So, I stepped off the bike and you can see just how many cars came past us. But then the bliss. The roads cleared. The world seemed to slow down and I got my momentum back. I wasn’t racing though. I was being economical. These hills, the pain felt like acid filling up in my legs. Every pedal stroke had to count. I was playing the long game. Paris wasn’t going to arrive. Red lights, hills, these were the nephysis of this bike. And it was easier to push up than burn up the legs because there was a long way to Paris. No more hills. Sorry. You knew what you were getting into. Downhill. I decided to go for a bit more of my own technique as the bike was very difficult to maneuver. So I decided to do this kind of two-step approach from the back and then just let the bike wander down the climb. I was starting to feel it at this point. There was a lot of small hills that we’d gone over. There was a lot of riding and that bag as well. I was starting to feel that. Yeah, I’m on the penny far right now. So, a bit sketchy. Yeah, feeling it. And uh I mean riding with one hand on the steering wheel is quite different as well. But yeah, completely destroy Jasmine. She’s nowhere. Can’t keep up. No, I’m joking. She’s just gone for some water. Yeah, it’s very hard going uphill. Any hill turns into a mountain. We’re in high spirits and I should be there on time for the ferry. That was close. You might think that I’d mastered getting on the penny farthing, but sometimes it went a bit wrong and wrong the second time as well. But eventually I got onto the bike as well and we were making steady progress towards New Haven and we had to get there before the ferry obviously to get over to France. We eventually made it into the realm of New Haven and a bit of an energy hit me and I decided to go up that very steep climb even though it was hurting a lot. But before long, we had the port in sight. However, the ferry wasn’t until 11:00. So that meant we got to enjoy a bit of a break at a famous restaurant. When the time came to check in, we made it towards the port. And here we found out we weren’t the only cyclist who had gotten the idea of cycling to Paris. Many of these far better packed than myself. It was time for the bikes to get on the ferry and many people loving the sight of the penny faring. Probably one of the first one they’d seen definitely that [Music] day. And with that we were on the ferry got the bike geared up and then we were making our way to the cabin. We are in the ferry now and Jasmine’s just having a shower. This is Yeah, we got to bed. Summation of the day. I mean, we’re penny faring. He’s crazy hard to cycle on the hills. Definitely slowing uh Jasmine down a lot. And yeah, quite brutal with the back. Legs are definitely a bit sore. Um took a a bit of recovery, but we’re going to sleep now and uh wake up at I think it’s like 5. So early day tomorrow, so it’s really about getting any recovery possible. But uh yeah, let’s see how it goes tomorrow. Around 5 hours later, the realization emerged that we were on the ferry. And from here, we could see that I was looking like someone who had just lost a fight with a tumblery and not someone who had enjoyed a relaxing sleep. I didn’t realize how the bag on my eyes, but but we’re about to port now. So, the French side begins soon, but we were now back on land, technically awake and somehow still on track for Paris. Rolling off the ferry at the crack of dawn, I looked and felt like a Victorian time traveler in the wrong century. The sun was barely up and we were already attracting attention. The passport control was surprisingly eventful. I handed over my documents. He looked at me then looked at the bike and then his manager came as he wanted to see the bike as well. Not for security reasons, just for curiosity and apparently seeing a man turn up on a penny farthing at 6:00 a.m. was not quite in the training manual. Passport checked. France had officially let us in. We got into dep at around 6:00 a.m. Cold, hungry, and tired was the feeling, but beautiful sunrise was coming. So, we’re about 30 miles into Normandy. Super windy. Super hungry. We were too early for the dab cafes. But here in the middle of nowhere, there’s not too many options. Yeah, suffering a bit. Despite looking like I just escaped a haunted fairy cabin, there was still time to take in a bit of culture. A beautiful French chateau rich in history, elegance, and sadly no croissants. The hunger was really kicking in. So began the most urgent mission of the morning, finding breakfast. The streets were calm, peaceful, too peaceful. It turns out France at 6:30 a.m. on a Saturday is not the land of plentiful bingeries. It’s the land of locked doors and zero pastries and then salvation. Not a bonerie, but a crepery. At this point, anything goes. So, first stop, we found it finally. This is our breakfast. Uh, so uh yeah, I’m so hungry right now. It It’s been quite tight, like hard. But after the cafe stop, we were about to set off. We met some of the people from the ferry as well, and they desperately wanted to see me trying to get on the bike once more. And who knows what count this was of me getting on this bike. Probably around 250 this deep into the journey. We were making our way ever closer to Paris. With calories in the tank and spirits restored, everything suddenly felt a little easier. The weather turned it on too. Blue skies, empty roads. I battled with all the hills, but some of them were a bit too long or a bit too steep for the bike and my legs. If me and you were cycling and we saw a penny faring, I would definitely say something. I would 100% say something. And then out of nowhere, Jasmine spotted something in a field. At first, I thought it was a mirage. A side effect of too much croissant and too little sleep. But no, it was real. A penny farthing in statue form in the middle of rural France. Still, there was no time to waste. Paris was calling. The next stretch of road was classic France. Open roads framed by rolling fields and sleepy villages where life moves at a gentler pace. So gentle in fact that even a game of balls came to a brief standstill as the local tried to make sense of this Victorian circus act rolling past them. But then we hit cycling gold. smooth scenic paths winding through the countryside and the kind of roads that make you forget that you’re riding a rolling antique with no gears. It was the perfect terrain for a few cinematic moments as well and a rare chance for me to look like I actually knew what I was doing. So, we’re about 46 mi in. So, 46 mi from depth and uh yeah, unfortunately it’s raining now. It’s going to be a long few last miles, but I mean it’s been good so far. Filming and going down descent on penny faring. Not a great idea. So, I’ll cut it short, but catch up in a bit. The rolling terrain continued. Quiet roads, charming villages, postcard perfect scenery, and legs that were now writing a strongly worded letter of complaint to me for doing this challenge. Downhill stretches became sacred, not for speed, but for survival. Suddenly, there was something new. Familiar names on road signs, a quiet reassurance, proof that we were getting somewhere. The climbs, though, they didn’t care. My legs were fading so much, I developed a new strategy. Lean back, shift the weight, and see if I could trick some of my other muscles into joining the team of getting this bike to Paris. Was it effective? To some extent, yes. And the brief lean back potentially just me thinking more that I wanted to be in a bed. Jasmine and I thought we would have a bit of fun as well. We got to a train station and here we saw this monstrosity. And yes, it was my idea and in hindsight it was not a good idea, not something my mom would have approved of. But the idea was to go down and then come back up again because that could be quite funny and see if I was any good at the control with the penny farthing. quickly dawned on me I hadn’t come in with enough speed up the way and uh yeah quickly was bouncing off the sides of the wall and here we can see that I didn’t have enough of an angle to turn and had to kind of jostle my way and here it happened you can see it I fall and bang pain nevertheless I do not give up I still am determined to try and get up this and eventually get up to where Jasmine was but it came out the cost the cost if you can’t see it it will be very very clear soon. Jasmine also pointed out and said that uh my cough looked very bulgy for some reason. And if you compare them you can see look at that lump. Oh my goodness. I’ve never had a swelling like that. That’s going to hurt tomorrow. Quite a whack actually. But spirits are high. We’re very close to the accommodation now. just uh yeah, few more KS and then shower, relax, long sleep cuz we didn’t have that on the ferry and then get ready for tomorrow and then Paris is basically there. Pained, bruised, bleeding, tired, all these things were applicable. But we finally made it. We did it. We got to our Airbnb and this was our stop for the night. So, we’re in the well the accommodation and uh yeah, well, our host has given me like some ice, so that’s very nice. But yeah, the bulge is crazy. I think it’s a bit better now. But like that is crazy. Long day, but definitely better than yesterday. And yeah, tomorrow coming, but at least we’ll have some good sleep tonight. Very nice bed. It’s not on the ferry, so should be very nice. So, uh yeah, I’m going to hit the hay and then uh catch you all again tomorrow. Day three had around 100 km ahead, a few dozen climbs. We rolled out early, fresh from an Airbnb bed that didn’t rock side to side, and within minutes, the village clocked us. [Music] I could definitely feel it in my legs at this point, but spirits were high after a very good breakfast. But once we hit the open road, something clicked. The legs felt brilliant after amazing breakfast. The rhythm was back. For a moment, I felt super strong, dare I say, confident on the bike. We were getting ever closer to Paris as well, and the morale was definitely high at this point. [Applause] However, I was really starting to feel the fatigue of the two other days, the bag, the one gear, and the climbs. I was doing everything I could to try and maximize easy speed on the descents, trying to egg them on for a bit longer than what probably should have been. And I was starting to feel all the extra efforts I had to do to just mount the penny farthing as well. But still pushing on. Nothing was going to stop me to make it to the Eiffel Tower. So as I adjusted the plan, downhills were no longer for fun. They were definitely recovery zones. I started pushing harder on the descents just to buy a few extra meters of stillness before the next climb would hit. It wasn’t glamorous. It wasn’t elegant, but it was definitely working. Every pedal stroke, every hill, every awkward remount, I wasn’t stopping. Not even when a car appeared out of a road it shouldn’t have and probably turn the wrong way down a oneway street as well. And Jasmine and I were definitely eager to get there as well, but I was really starting to feel it. And when the moment came, I caved in and I needed Abu Launcher. Uh we’re almost 40 I think we’re almost 40k in. And uh yeah, we’re stopping again after lunch because of me because uh after that great crash yesterday. I think I actually took more damage to the right leg. So need to put myself full of painkillers and then uh should be fine. But Jasmine’s having a great time. I was deep in the battle now. Every hill was a grind. Every stretch of flat road was a temporary truce. We were getting closer, but the hardest part of the day was still lay ahead. And then we saw it. Something we hadn’t seen the entire trip. A dark cloud on the horizon. A warning. We thought we had time. We didn’t. The heavens opened. And when I say open, I mean absolutely torrential rain. I darted for cover like a man trying to dodge a bucket of water in slow motion which effectively I was. Jasmine of course had a rain coat had prepared so she was a bit dry and perhaps mud. So, uh, we just ran inside a bus stop here because, uh, it’s absolutely pouring down. And, uh, yeah, I didn’t pack a gilelay for this trip because, uh, that’s extra weight. Uh, but I mean, Jasmine did, so still. Nevertheless, we couldn’t stay under that bus shelter for the whole time. So, we did dare the conditions, and it did start to lighten up a bit. The route took us through a sprawling nature park. Beautiful, peaceful, full of bird song and hills. So many hills. Jasmine says, “I love a steep hill,” which is true, but not on a penny faring. And then it came a glimpse. The Eiffel Tower, tiny, distant, taunting, but at least we were close. Painfully close. The roads narrowed, the traffic thickened, and the penny faring, well, it did what it always does. turned heads, raised eyebrows, but I wasn’t thinking about their attention anymore. My world had shrunk down to one thing. Getting to that tower. Every part of me hurt. Legs, back, shoulders, wrists. But I wasn’t stopping. Not now. Not ever. Not after all that we’ve been through. Now with the Iron Lady just around the corner. And within Paris itself, people were really starting to enjoying the bike with cameras coming out left, right, and center. And some people even being so taken back that they were kind of caught in a moment. Nice comments from many people, plenty of funny looks. They were startled by what they were seeing. Nevertheless, we were getting ever closer to the Eiffel Tower. People were looking away from their conversations, stopping conversations, stopping drinking their coffees in order to look at this ancient monstrosity of a bike. [Music] Deeper into the city, some people were more mesmerized than others by the bike. However, that didn’t stop me as I was still determined to finish [Music] this. A bus driver even decided to delay his passenger’s journey just to say something to us as well. Red lights were definitely becoming a torturous session because every red light meant that I had to dismount and remount and every single remount took a bit of effort out of me. Of [Music] course, right in this moment, I was not thinking about anything else but finishing the challenge. However, Jasmine having a surplus of energy after not ridden very hard for her saw that we were very close to Shams now and if I wanted to go on this mythical road and I declined. [Music] But then the moment came. The Eiffel Tower was inside. It wasn’t 20 km away. It wasn’t 10 km away. It was within almost touching distance almost. People were loving the bike. Many reactions. But the Eiffel Tower, that is what we came for. We saw it. The beautiful worldwide renowned icon. And here we were. We finally made it. So, we made it. This bike, wait, this bike, the Eiffel Tower. It’s been uh well, I want to say great, but it’s been an experience. Hopefully only once in a lifetime. Special thanks to Jasmine for being so patient. Memories for a lifetime. And uh yeah, the petty farthing. Don’t don’t ride to Paris. That’s my my advice. This wasn’t it though because obviously I wanted to get an iconic shot. And that iconic shot was not down here. It was up towards the finish. We went towards where the Olympic road race finished last year to get an iconic shot. And people were still loving the bike. And for a few moments, the Eiffel Tower was secondary to the penny faring. We got there. We were in front of the Eiffel Tower. And why not pay a homage to Ramco Veniple at the very same point. With that, that’s basically it for this video of me trying to cycle a penny faring from London to Paris. Big thank you to Jasmine for being the camera operator and having the patience to be with me. But that was it. That’s it for this video. Make sure to hit the like button, subscribe to the channel if you haven’t already, and of course, as always, thank you for watching, and I will see you in the next one. [Music]