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Back Pedal Brakes-Why not in England?



 
 
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  #1  
Old August 27th 05, 05:08 PM
Brian Millson
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Default Back Pedal Brakes-Why not in England?

About a week ago I got a Bauer Trisalu and I have had a great time with
it-put on 150 kilometres in the last 10 days. I live in a British Forces
community here in Germany and I have had quite a few comments - not only on
the cycle itself but also on the back pedal brakes (there are front
handbrakes) which are common here as well as Canada where I am from.

I understand that backpedal brakes are unusual in Britain. Is there any
particular reason for this? They seem to work well enough and don't tie up
the hands so much.

Brian Millson

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  #2  
Old August 27th 05, 05:48 PM
wafflycat
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Default Back Pedal Brakes-Why not in England?


"Brian Millson" wrote in message
...


I understand that backpedal brakes are unusual in Britain. Is there any
particular reason for this? They seem to work well enough and don't tie
up
the hands so much.

Brian Millson


Because it's staggeringly easy to use ordinary brakes????

Cheers, helen s

  #3  
Old August 27th 05, 05:51 PM
Tim Downie
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Default Back Pedal Brakes-Why not in England?


"Brian Millson" wrote in message
...

I understand that backpedal brakes are unusual in Britain. Is there any
particular reason for this? They seem to work well enough and don't tie
up
the hands so much.


My experience with them is limited but I've never come across one that
offers half the braking power of a conventional rim brake. That and the
fact that you can't flick the pedals back to align them for mounting etc.
mean that I don't miss them at all (I spent some years in the US as a
child).

Tim


  #4  
Old August 27th 05, 05:55 PM
Tony Raven
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Default Back Pedal Brakes-Why not in England?

Brian Millson wrote:
About a week ago I got a Bauer Trisalu and I have had a great time with
it-put on 150 kilometres in the last 10 days. I live in a British Forces
community here in Germany and I have had quite a few comments - not only on
the cycle itself but also on the back pedal brakes (there are front
handbrakes) which are common here as well as Canada where I am from.

I understand that backpedal brakes are unusual in Britain. Is there any
particular reason for this? They seem to work well enough and don't tie up
the hands so much.


Two reasons really. One is brakes on the back wheel have very little
braking effect because the weight transfers onto the front wheel during
braking. And for that you have to give up the ability to flip the
pedals backwards to where you want them.


--
Tony

"I did make a mistake once - I thought I'd made a mistake but I hadn't"
Anon
  #5  
Old August 27th 05, 06:31 PM
Simon Brooke
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Default Back Pedal Brakes-Why not in England?

in message , Brian Millson
') wrote:

About a week ago I got a Bauer Trisalu and I have had a great time with
it-put on 150 kilometres in the last 10 days. I live in a British
Forces community here in Germany and I have had quite a few comments -
not only on the cycle itself but also on the back pedal brakes (there
are front handbrakes) which are common here as well as Canada where I
am from.

I understand that backpedal brakes are unusual in Britain. Is there
any
particular reason for this? They seem to work well enough and don't
tie up the hands so much.


We have these things called hills - you may have heard of them.

--
(Simon Brooke) http://www.jasmine.org.uk/~simon/

;; An enamorata is for life, not just for weekends.
  #6  
Old August 27th 05, 06:41 PM
MartinM
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Posts: n/a
Default Back Pedal Brakes-Why not in England?


Brian Millson wrote:
About a week ago I got a Bauer Trisalu and I have had a great time with
it-put on 150 kilometres in the last 10 days. I live in a British Forces
community here in Germany and I have had quite a few comments - not only on
the cycle itself but also on the back pedal brakes (there are front
handbrakes) which are common here as well as Canada where I am from.

I understand that backpedal brakes are unusual in Britain. Is there any
particular reason for this? They seem to work well enough and don't tie up
the hands so much.


wot the others said, plus it's down to demand; Last time I rode in
Holland 99% of the bikes I saw were sit up and beg boneshakers or
hybrids; you would not find a BBB to fit most of the road bikes and
MTB's over here. Plus we have hills in the UK ;-)

  #7  
Old August 27th 05, 06:52 PM
The Nottingham Duck
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Default Back Pedal Brakes-Why not in England?

On Sat, 27 Aug 2005 18:08:10 +0200, Brian Millson
wrote:


I understand that backpedal brakes are unusual in Britain. Is there any
particular reason for this? They seem to work well enough and don't tie up
the hands so much.

Brian Millson


Nay, tis devilry from the New World !

He be a witch,burn him !!!
  #8  
Old August 27th 05, 09:35 PM
Mike Causer
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Default Back Pedal Brakes-Why not in England?

On Sat, 27 Aug 2005 18:08:10 +0200, Brian Millson wrote:

I understand that backpedal brakes are unusual in Britain. Is there any
particular reason for this? They seem to work well enough and don't tie
up the hands so much.


I've got one British (English even!) bike with backpedal rear brake. It
works OK within the context of a single speed, local use only, bike. For
any stop that I can see in advance I use the back brake -- thinking about
where I want the pedals to be for starting off again. For an emergency
stop I use the front and sort out the pedals afterwards.

Overall it takes some practice to make a clean stop with a back-pedal
brake, where "clean" includes being able to set off again without messing
about. For a cyclist who habitually "scoots" to start off it makes no
difference.

Of the derailleur equipped bikes I ride most, one can be started off in
almost any gear and have a rapid change down as soon as moving, but
another _must_ be started in a pretty low gear and so needs some rapid
changing while the brakes are applied before stopping.


Mike


  #9  
Old August 27th 05, 09:50 PM
the.Mark
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Posts: n/a
Default Back Pedal Brakes-Why not in England?

Brian Millson wrote:
About a week ago I got a Bauer Trisalu and I have had a great
time with it-put on 150 kilometres in the last 10 days. I
live in a British Forces community here in Germany and I have
had quite a few comments - not only on the cycle itself but
also on the back pedal brakes (there are front handbrakes)
which are common here as well as Canada where I am from.

I understand that backpedal brakes are unusual in Britain. Is
there any particular reason for this? They seem to work well
enough and don't tie up the hands so much.

Brian Millson


I used to have one back in the '70s, I think it was a Polish import.
--
the.Mark


  #10  
Old August 27th 05, 10:06 PM
Robert Kiessling
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Default Back Pedal Brakes-Why not in England?

Brian Millson writes:

I understand that backpedal brakes are unusual in Britain. Is there any
particular reason for this? They seem to work well enough and don't tie up
the hands so much.


Apart from the vast difference in breaking power that was already
mentioned, speed is also a matter for me. In urban traffic I want to
be able to break very quickly, and backpedalling would just take too
long.

Maybe it comes down to the speed of cycling.

Robert
 




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