Spring has arrived. Time to bring out the biggest wheels.

The 1880s riding machines called highwheels are the original horseless carriages.

Next to the invention of the wheel itself, the remarkable Victorian highwheel might be the most significant achievement in the history of travel.

It launched the concept of personal transportation, led to the invention of the automobile and airplane, changed women’s fashion forever, and prompted development of paved roads in America.

By any measure, it’s an amazing machine steeped in heritage.

Yet when folks see it, they don’t know what it is. They don’t even know what to call it.

“Oh, look,” people say, “a unicycle!”

In its grandest purpose, the highwheel was the first machine to allow man to use his own power to travel far distance on land.

It led to women adopting slacks, or “bloomers,” in the late 1800s, allowing them to ride.

The machine was invented in 1871 by James Starley and others in Coventry, England, where it quickly became king of the road.

It was casually named a penny-farthing, but riders simply called it the wheel, saying: “I think I’ll go out on my wheel after supper.”

In America, some folks referred to it as an “Amish bike” because it was popular among Pennsylvania Germans.

Riding a highwheel provides a sense of euphoria. The rider sits high above the road, providing a new look at the world.

But learning to ride is tricky. A distinct challenge.

To begin, one must push the bike to get it moving and then leap up into the saddle by using a very small steel step protruding from the bike’s lower spine. The rider then straddles the giant wheel and must catch two pedals already in motion.

Regarding size, a highwheel must be fitted to the rider; that is, according to the length of one’s leg.

It’s important to have the correct size wheel so that a rider’s feet can reach the pedals. To balance a highwheel correctly, a rider must be able to comfortably reach those pedals at every point of their revolution.

While highwheels were plentiful in their day, they were abandoned about 1890 due to safety concerns. They were notorious for flipping forward.

Men were injured and even killed doing a “header.” It can happen, for instance, when a rider lets the wheel hit something it can’t roll over. In cases like that, the bike will suddenly flip forward, sending the rider headfirst into the ground. It also can happen simply by leaning too far forward when riding.

I suffered that fate in 2007 at Eckley Miners’ Village. I flipped over the handlebars. I broke my wrist in three places and cracked my ribs.

Because of their inherent, dangerous design, highwheels disappeared in favor of newer safety bikes.

Then, in 1915, the highwheel vanished almost completely. The machines were melted down during WWI scrap drives.

Today, only 5,000 original highwheels remain worldwide. Some hang in museums or are part of private collections.

For that reason, it is rare to see one on the streets.

Pennsylvania has very few riders.

In Northeastern Pennsylvania, several of us joined together under the banner of the Victorian Highwheelers. We became close friends and share a special bond.

I’ve been a highwheel ambassador for 25 years, still soaring high as I turn age 70. The highwheel, I believe, has helped me stay fit.

Best of all, I’ve been able to showcase this important piece of history at important historical events in New York, New Jersey and Pennsylvania.

I’ve demonstrated the machine at Independence Hall and the Liberty Bell as a guest of Historic Philadelphia Inc.

I also was part of the 125th anniversary of Thomas Edison’s famous incandescent light experiment.

I rode in a parade behind former President Bill Clinton and was honored to lead a procession of million-dollar cars at Concours d’Elegance.

I’m grateful for opportunities to showcase a piece of history long forgotten, even if it was a bit daring and dangerous.

The highwheel inspired the framework for today’s transportation with its own special footprint of fluidity and grace.

Majestically and silently it glides. Pure art in motion, painted on a fading canvas of time.