Q&A

Greetings and sultana's my illustrious reader. It is a pleasure to welcome you back. This weeks class was not on due to another stupid school holiday. So I thought it would be a good time to address some very important questions I've had whilst building a p-far.

The top five questions asked when someone finds out I'm building a p-far.

• Is that the bike with sorta the big wheel and small wheel? Yes
• Why are you building a P-far? It seemed like a good idea at the time.
• I'm sorry did you say you were building a penny farthing? Yes
• Really why would you do that?  It seemed like a good idea at the time.
• Are you mad? Yes

Now these questions are to be expected when you are awesome. Unlike Q&A on the ABC I don't have a Slovenian Philosopher debating with an Egyptian Born Democracy Activist it was just me, myself and I, but don't fear the debate was long and fierce. 

I thought I'd address in more detail the main question the why is it so? When I was first considering enrolling in the course I did a list of pros and cons I feel it's time to share that list.

Pros

• Excellent for apple picking.
• They are rad.
• I finally get to buy a tweed outfit.
• I can head-but magpies when they swoop.
• I can see for miles and miles and miles and miles.
• Incredible in the moment focus whilst riding. 
• I can grow a beard/moustache.
• The satisfaction of building your own bike.

Con's

• Not so good in the McDonald's drive through when buying a hot apple pie.
• They are rad, so you'll get stopped by everyone any time you go in public. 
• Tweed itches. 
• Low hanging branches.
• I can see my whole life flash before me as I crash.
• Incredible in the moment focus whilst crashing. 
• I can't grow a beard/moustache so will be mocked by a whole new group of people.
• The satisfaction of building your own bike, and being the only person who can repair it.

Today I was reflecting on what I've got left to do in the next 5 classes. I then spent 20 minutes in the foetal position breathing into a brown paper bag.

• the bearing holder thingy to be brazed to forks
• my handlebars ends/grips brazed to handlebar
• headset bolts etc
• rear forks brazed to frame
• Backbone cut
• steering yoke brazed (I haven't shaped this yet properly either)
• foot step brazed
• rubber put on wheels
• front wheel trued
• The seat mounted
• Braze the plaque on 
• Heaps more polishing and filing and sanding
• Paint it
• learn how to mount and ride the thing
• Build/modify a rack to transport it
• other stuff I've missed?

I asked Brett about all the things we needed to do. He indicated that it 'Should be heaps of time as long as you remain uninjured' so not to mince words I have no chance. 

  

This image was sent to me from an un-named class mate she felt it suited me for some reason so thanks Janine. Needless to say the next 5 weeks of class are going to be busy really busy so I'm going to need to prioritise my work flow and using JIT (Just in Time) principles will make it. So first things first I'm gonna grow a beard.