TallBike History

WHAT IS A TALL BIKE ?

Coming from a tradition of zany bicycle building that has evolved on both sides of the Atlantic, the principle of tall bikes is simple: to push the boundaries of what a pedal-powered vehicule can be.

Traditionally, tall bike builders re-cycle used parts rather than buying new materials (which generates waste and leads to unneccessary consumption).

THE EVOLUTION OF THE TALL BIKE :

There are a number of alleged explanations for the evolution of tall bikes. Some sources suggest that in the late 19th century, tall bicycles were specially made for Chicago's lamplighters to make it easier to illuminate and maintain the city's streetlamps.

Others claim that at a similar time, fruit pickers extended normal bicycles in the orchards of Catalonia, to reach the upper branches of the lemon trees they were harvesting.

Another root is traced back to the 1900's when British colonial troops reputedly used "unusually elevated cycles" to train their men to race camels to a sufficient standard that they could compete with locals.

No-one is certain which of these origins is the most authentic. However, the late Victorians carried out boundless experiments in the construction of unusual bicycles, the most popular of these being the tall bike. Such a trend arguably climaxed in the 1890's with the “Eiffel Tower bicycle”:

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