Penny-farthing the trend was short-lived, the penny-farthing became a symbol of the late Victorian era. Its popularity also coincided with the birth of cycling as a sport. Eugène Meyer of Paris, France is now regarded as the father of the high bicycle by the International Cycling History Conference in place of James Starley. Meyer patented a wire-spoke tension wheel with individually adjustable spokes in 1869. They were called "spider" wheels in Britain when introduced there. Meyer produced a classic high bicycle design during the 1880s. James Starley in Coventry added the tangent spokes and the mounting step to his famous bicycle
Wheel of Fortune (horse) Fortune was regarded by contemporary experts as one of the best racemares of the 19th century. Wheel of Fortune was a small but "beautiful" bay filly standing just over 15 hands high, bred at Mereworth by her owner Evelyn Boscawen, 6th Viscount Falmouth. Her sire, Adventurer won the Gold Vase at Royal Ascot and two runnings of the City and Suburban Handicap at Epsom. At stud, his other winners included the Fillies' Triple Crown winner Apology. Wheel of Fortune's dam, Queen Bertha, won the Oaks in 1863 and went on to become a successful and influential broodmare. Apart from Wheel