if you made a large front wheel then each turn will go a greater distance
By the time 1870 had come around, metallurgy had advanced to the level which made it possible to leave behind wood in favor of the all metal machine.
At the same time it was recognized that if you made a large front wheel then each turn will go a greater distance than a small wheel, and so it was that the 'high wheel bicycle' or 'penny farthing' came upon the scene. It had a really large front wheel and a rather small rear wheel.
A certain level of smoothness was provided by solid rubber tires and naturally, the large wheel evened out the bumps.
Using this device, the more elongated your legs, the bigger the wheel you were able to ride and the quicker you would go.
There was just one unfortunate characteristic,, however, and that was if you attempted to pull up quickly or struck a rut in the street, the complete apparatus would be sent over the wheel and deposit the rider on his skull.
