Lara takes on London’s Tweed Run on a Penny Farthing

Ten-year-old Lara Pollard, who only began riding a Penny Farthing just over a year ago, took part in her first major event on Saturday – the iconic Tweed Run in London.

Lara joined her father, Bill, and his friends on the 12-mile route, which began near Farringdon Station and finished at St Pancras Gardens. Established in 2009, the Tweed Run invites cyclists to dress in their finest vintage attire.

Travelling from Henley, the group included fellow Penny Farthing enthusiasts Tristan Haigh and Kris Samyui-Adams, who was taking part in only his third ride. Bill’s usual riding partner, Matt Richardson who he previously cycled to Paris with him was unable to join due to a back injury.

Explaining their decision to take part in the event this year, Bill said: “We decided to do the event after one of the organisers posted in a Penny Farthing Facebook group, I’m part of. They were offering free entry and lunch for Penny Farthing riders. Over the last few years, the Penny Farthing riders had stopped going as there was too much stopping and starting which isn’t great as Penny Farthing’s don’t have any brakes.  This year he said that the Penny Farthings would be separated out to make it easier.  There were about 40 Penny Farthings out of 2,000 bicycles who entered this year and Lara was certainly the youngest Penny Farthing rider.”

Lara rides a Penny Farthing lent to her by Matthew Trott, from whom Bill originally acquired his own bike.  Lara said, “I started learning just over a year ago,” she said. “When Daddy got into it, I liked watching him. Then he asked me and my sister Rosie if we wanted to try. I just picked it up—it was pretty easy. Going downhill isn’t scary at all, it’s actually really fun.”

Bill said, “Lara made it look easy. Honestly, it was quite humbling. It took me and Matt about a month before we could even take one hand off—we were gripping so tightly. I was terrified.”

Despite the scale of the event, Lara had done very little training. Her longest previous rides were local outings to the Flower Pot pub in Aston and the Bix Fête where she and her Dad had been invited to do demonstration last year.

Back home, Lara’s unusual hobby has made quite an impression.  “My friends think it’s very, very cool,” she said. “I’ve even taught two of them how to ride.”

Beyond the cycling, Lara loves the vintage fashion that comes with it. She rides in traditional Victorian-style clothing, including a tweed cover with a pom-pom that fits over her cycling helmet a gift she got for her birthday last year.. She now has two jackets a Union Jack design and a tweed one and recently she got a blouse to complete the outfit.

Getting to London was an adventure in itself, with four Penny Farthings squeezed onto the Henley branch line before being transferred to a proper bike carriage, and later onto the Elizabeth Line drawing plenty of attention along the way.

For Lara, the highlight of the day was riding down The Mall towards Buckingham Palace.
“I waved to King Charles because his flag was flying,” she said.

There was one moment of drama just before lunch, when Lara fell after her spokes caught on her father’s mounting peg while navigating a narrow stretch of road. She bruised her leg in the accident. “It was a nasty surprise I nearly came off too,” Bill said. “She was really brave. She wasn’t sure whether to carry on, but I told her it was about half an hour to the nearest station or half an hour to lunch. She chose lunch and I think that was the right decision as she  got to see Buckingham Palace.”

As for what’s next, Bill has his sights set on a new challenge: the “Iron Man for Gentlemen” on 1 August—a 2.4-mile swim, 112 miles on a Penny Farthing, and a 26.2-mile stroll with an umbrella! The event is described as “endurance with panache,” with no training allowed!

Lara, meanwhile, has her own goal in mind: a Penny Farthing ride to Oxford to visit her cousins.