For the third consecutive year, Bike Works p/b Fred Beans Cycling Team reached the top of the podium at the National Clustered Spires High Wheel Race, America's only vintage, high-wheel race. Chris Meacham (Perkasie, PA) returned to the championship after last winning the event in 2023. Along the way, he turned in the fastest lap ever at the race (1:01), topping the 1:11 effort of his teammate (and 2024 champion) Gui Nelessen (Lambertville, NJ), who was unable to compete this year. Our team has now captured three championships and a third-place result on vintage bikes of our design and manufacture. Thank you to our friends at the Wheelmen, David & Sue Gray, Moses Heberlein, Pelle Kippel, and Velocity, USA, for your help and guidance along the way. 

A special feature of this year's race is that Grace Rollins (Doylestown, PA/Bridge Acupuncture) competed in her first-ever race of any kind and finished 3rd in the women's competition. We are 100% sure that with a year of experience racing Pennyfarthings under her belt, Grace will be the 2026 champion. Imagine your first ever race being on Pennys?! Grace is an experienced mountain and road cyclist, and transferred those skills over to the big bike. Thank you, as always, to the Pennyfarthing community in Frederick, MD, for letting us be a part of your party. Thank you to Eric & Jeanne Rhodes for organizing the best bike race we know about. Thank you also to Nick Cucchiara for photo-documenting the race; here's his gallery. Here's what the international cycling commentators at GCN had to say about our victory (11:51 mark).