F.lli Valletti, Biciclo da corsa - Bicycle - 1880

The velocipede spreads in the 1800s and is a type of pedal vehicle that precedes the bicycle. It is characterized by a large front wheel measuring 124 by 124 cm, on which the pedals are directly operated, and by a small rear wheel of 34 by 34 cm, with a wheelbase of 63 cm. The maneuvers for starting and stopping this machine are very difficult, as is its pedaling. The distinctive shape of the handlebars surely mirrors the English models. In England it was called penny-farthing, like the British coins penny = larger and farthing = smaller, referring to the larger front wheel that drives the smaller rear wheel. The Valletti brothers of Verona, a company devoted to mechanical work, were among the first Italian firms to produce bicycles. At the time, a velocipede like this cost roughly as much as two fine saddle horses: a dream for most of the population. The front-wheel velocipede will be dismantled to make it easier to package.

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