I am going to plead ignorance with respect to any manner of exotica related to 1950's British lightweights (...decidedly NOT my strong suit of knowledge or experience), and therefore, I will leave it to other more informed List members to comment on that particular aspect of this topic, one way or the other.
However, I thought it perhaps tangentially appropriate to mention that the original Harlan Meyer's Hi-E Cosmopolitan I (...as in the pre-production version that he built as a graduation gift for one of his sons) did feature an unusual braking system absent conventional brake levers which was instead actuated by rotating the handlebars themselves causing cabling attached to a set of paddles to thereafter apply pressure directly to the center tread of the tires to affect a stopping action. This odd set-up was quickly abandoned on subsequent models of those precious few Hi-E Cosmopolitans which were ever offered for public consumption.
You can read more about this novel, dare I say, wacky idea by using the following link:
http://www.velo-pages.com/
Robert "the line separating genius from idiocy is fine indeed" Broderick
...the "Chronically Cloudy Clime" of Oregon
Portland, USA
> Date: Wed, 26 Aug 2009 18:18:53 -0700
> From: coffee18@verizon.net
> CC: Classicrendezvous@bikelist.org
> Subject: [CR] Peculiar 50s era British Brake Arrangement
>
> British Brake-onoscienti,
>
> Nearly 30 years ago, on my initial trip to England to visit a collector with whom I'd been corresponding and trading back then, among other things I was shown what I recall was a top-quality 50s-vintage British lightweight, whose caliper brakes were somehow actuated by lifting the handlebars, i.e., they pivoted around the stem. There were no brake levers, and the bars were of alloy. I ddid take some fotos, but I have no idea where they might be.
>
> This fellow's collection of some 25 or 30 British bikes was truly superb, so I know I was not looking at some novelty item.
>
> Can anyone confirm that such a set-up existed, or provide some more details on it?
>
> Thanks!
>
> Joe LaTassa
> Hellertown, PA