What was the nickname of the high-wheel bicycle popular in the 1870s?

The high-wheel bicycle popular in the 1870s was called the penny-farthing.

It had one very large front wheel and a much smaller rear wheel. The large wheel increased the distance travelled for each turn of the pedals, allowing higher speeds before the development of pneumatic tyres and modern gearing. Riders sat directly above the front wheel.

The nickname compares the bicycle’s wheels with two British coins: the large penny and the much smaller farthing. Its formal name was the high-wheel bicycle, and it was also called an ordinary or an ordinary bicycle.

The design was fast but unstable. A sudden obstacle could throw the rider forward, producing the expression “taking a header.” The safety bicycle, with two similarly sized wheels and a lower riding position, became the dominant design in the 1890s.