[CR]Re: Bowden brakes

(Example: History)

Date: Sat, 15 Jun 2002 08:41:24 +0100
From: "Helen Macvean" <helenmac7@netscapeonline.co.uk>
To: "classicrendezvous@bikelist.org" <classicrendezvous@bikelist.org>
Subject: [CR]Re: Bowden brakes

Hello All
    Bowden brakes seem to appear just before the turn of the century, The first type of cable brake , usually fitted to the back wheel was just a simple horseshoe shape. It was really a case of the right thing at the right time . It ment that a cycle with the standard set up of the time with a fixed wheel, could easily be upgraded to have a freewheel. There were coasters available but this was a lot cheeper option and easy to fit.
    By the early part of the 1900s some of the big British makers, such as Lea -Francis were offering this as a optional extra. Bigger versions were also fitted to motorcycles and my 1905 French Werner has two fitted- both on the back wheel !!
   Calipers were made probably (?) from the 20s onwards and usually fitted to lightweights They are quite common (made under leicence)on French bikes and production may have just survived the war years
    Cheers for now Pete Paine Watford