Welcome to the world of penny farthing riding. That's what eight hours - give or take - and 139 kilometres in the saddle the previous day will do for you.

"No, the seat isn't very comfortable," he admitted. "I rode it for 18 kilometres last weekend and my backside was sore then, so I hate to think what it will be like after another 120 kilometres.

"I'll have padded pants on, but I'm not sure that will be enough."

Scott's ride on Sunday is part of a fund-raiser for the Westpac Rescue Helicopter Service, a cause he identifies with.

"I worked in the mines for a few years and there were a few incidents when the helicopter was needed," he said. "In those circumstances it's a reassuring sound to hear as it approaches, I can tell you."

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So, with a lot of the Rescue Service's fundraising events cancelled this year, Scott has stepped up.

On a recent virtual challenge, he rode 139 kilometres a week throughout June and raised $1500. His goal was to raise $5000, so this weekend's ride is to supplement that figure.

If you're wondering what's so special about the 139, that's the model number of the helicopter the Service uses.

Scott, 44, is inviting anyone to come along for part or all of the ride on Sunday to give him some company.

The course is flat - penny farthings, with their 56 inch front wheel and 16 inch back wheel, don't take to hills too well, he tells us - starting at the the front gate of the Hunter Economic Zone at Kurri. He has worked out a circuit that has little traffic and is just under eight kilometres long, so he plans to do 18 laps.

"I did a trial run a couple of Sundays back," he said. "Obviously at some point I'll have to stop - it's pretty hard to eat when you're on a penny farthing for example - but the aim is to do it with as few breaks as possible."

What makes this challenge especially interesting is that Scott, owner of Ted's Bike Shop at East Maitland, is hardly an experienced farthing rider.

"I'd been nagging my wife for one and she eventually bought one for me," he said. "I keep it at at the shop as a talking point ... or for people to take pictures, that sort of thing.

"When I put a picture of it on Facebook I had these hard core penny farthing fans contact me wanting me to join their group," he said. "I had to say no, it's all just a bit of fun.

"I've only ridden it four or five times, mostly just around the car park, so this is all very new."

How did the rides go?

"Mostly pretty well, although one time I finished up flying over the front handle bars.

"Penny farthings have a handbrake for the back wheel, but the front is a fixed wheel, so to slow it down you push back against the rotating pedals.

"Trouble is it can lift you right out of the seat, which is what happened to me."

How far is the fall?

"A bit over six feet. It seems further when you're flying through the air, though."

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