Penny farthings, which have a large front wheel and a tiny rear wheel, became popular in the 19th Century but gave way to modern bicycles.
Rider Neil Laughton said the time trial was “a tough event for people of a certain age on these crazy bikes” but was a “lovely place to cycle a Victorian bicycle”.
Fellow competitor Glynn Stockton said the Eastbourne race was “a very famous event in the penny farthing community”.
“It just seemed like such a wonderful, silly, British challenge to try and undertake,” he told the BBC.
“It gets very steep and it gets very difficult at times but the crowds have been fantastic, all the cheering genuinely did help.”
Rasta Rolla said: “It’s torturous, it’s difficult, it’s painful, but we come back year on year and we just do it again and again.
“It’s nice to see the crowds, it’s almost like the Tour de France.”
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