1884 KANGAROO Safety Bicycle (Blue, replica)

The ‘Kangaroo’ patented by William Hillman was the first ‘safety’ bicycle – so described because its gearing (see above) allowed it to use a smaller front wheel than on a penny farthing. It was superseded two years later by the first successful chain-driven ‘safety’ bicycle with 30 inch wheels …a cross frame that was also patented by William Hillman.

Though James Starley is credited as the ‘father of the cycle industry’, in my opinion William Hillman was his equal. The first penny farthing, in 1870, was a joint patent between both of them. Hillman later moved on from bicycles to the car trade, founding the car company that bore his name for the next 60 years.

1884 KANGAROO Dwarf Safety Bicycle

Replica, using an 1880s penny farthing as its base

William Hillman Patent

LENGTH: 55″

WIDTH: 27″

HEIGHT: 46″

36″ Front wheel

20″ Rear wheel

(Now sold)

This is a replica of the famous 1884 Kangaroo Safety Bicycle that uses an 1880s penny farthing with a smaller front wheel as its base. Being a much smaller size and lower to the ground, it is easy to ride. The pedals operate freely and it is interesting to see at first hand the gearing concept that changed the face of cycling in 1884 and subsequently led to the safety bicycle motivated by chain to the back wheel.

I sold a real one some years ago, and you can see my friend Tam taking that one for a spin it in the video further down the page.