Larry Myers wrote:
I went to the Seattle Bike Swap this past weekend; wonderful event! Saw some real eye-candy there- an Iver-Johnson track racer (fully restored-beautiful!), an early 40's Durkopf ladies touring bike (coaster brake w/3-speed derailleur) <snip>
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Larry - This combination astounded me. To me, "coaster" has always meant hub brake actuated by back pressure on the pedals. This doesn't seem compatible with the post-war derailleur mechanisms with chain slack take-up, the ones that I'm familiar with. But there were lots of interesting "experiments" in days of yore, so I'm just curious if I read you right, and how the darned thing might have worked. Might it have been a hub brake w. 3-speed FW, with a cable- or rod-operated drum brake assembly? I think those were available from Schwinn, among other sources, but would have to check.
thanks
harvey sachs
mcLean VA