Originally Posted by
bigwoo
Martl, you my friend have a HECK of an eye! I never would have noticed the size difference had you not mentioned it!!
The rear is 1/2" longer than the front! What is that all about?? (Front cable is off due to rott and a completely shattered casing)
700C wheels, so is that a frame geometry thing?
What do you know about them using different sized calipers?
Either way, very, very impressive eye that you've got
you flatter me
Its just that sometimes in the 80is my dad gave me his old 1951 Girardengo with the same feature, and as i used it as a daily rider for some time. Common "long reach" racing brakes would fit in the front, but not in the rear. Finding a decent "very long" brake was impossible.
Later i learned that feature was quite common in the 50ies and 60ies, for using wider tires and fenders. The Universal brakes you have there on the bike actually came as a pair, and because of all that i'm guessing they came with the bike.
Definitely no one built racers with the longer rear brake any more in the 70ies. That bike is older
M.