Getting off this weird bicycle is easy – you just have to brake, and…

…hop off, just as you would any normal bike. The original high-wheel Penny Farthing, however, was another matter entirely.

Now, riding a Penny Farthing is something of a specialist skill these days.

Luckily, Gareth is joined by expert rider Alec Brown, who whizzes merrily around the Glasgow Science Centre.

The Penny Farthing was the racing bike of its day – that massive front wheel gave it a very high gear, so while it was rubbish for climbing hills it was ridiculously fast on the flat.

It gets its name from two old coins, the penny, on the right, and the farthing, left, which was worth a quarter of a penny.

One reason a Penny Farthing is so quick is because there’s no chain between the pedals and the wheel – every last drop of the rider’s effort goes into turning that huge wheel, so the Penny Farthing is very efficient.

However, you can’t freewheel, and the only form of braking is to pedal less hard. So… how do you stop?

Alec will demonstrate the three basic techniques. The first is to use the rear step or peg to hop off while the bicycle is still moving.

That’s also the usual way of starting off again. Actually, the usual way of starting involves doing an unstylish face-plant three metres from where you began, but Alec’s well past that stage.

The second method of dismounting is to use the pedals like the stirrups of a horse-riding saddle; your weight on the back pedal slows the bicycle down, and with careful timing you can hop off just as it stops. Natty.

The third method is the one favoured by beginners – jump. If you get it wrong you’ll still be moving forwards when you land, which leads to the fourth method of dismounting, and the one most beginners actually use: falling off.

So, thanks to Alec, you now know how to get off a Penny Farthing. Just in case your normal bike should ever mysteriously change into one. It could happen.