so I'm befuddled. I saw an old raleigh, with rod controlled brakes, where the brakes looked like calipers, but pushed up on the bottom of the rim, there was even a odd shape to the rim to accomidate this and the arms had extra metal to mount the pads facing up. What's the history of this sort of thing?
Aaron

A long, long history for rod brakes, as far as Raleighs go--back to the 30s and probably earlier. Sheldon Brown says they're more reliable than cable brakes, and I personally think they're a bit of an adventure to adjust. More info here: https://retroraleighs.com/roadster.html

Neal

Actually they go back way farther than the '30s, more like the 1870s.

When I say they're "reliable" I mean that they are very low maintainence, and generally always "work" inasmuch as they ever do.

However, even in the best of conditions, they are very feeble brakes, despite their "reliability."

Sheldon "That's Why I Got Rid Of My Superbe" Brown

If I'm not mistaken, the police in Sacramento California used to use that kind of bike/brakes up until the late '70's early '80's. Very funky stuff!

Well, Sheldon, I stopped commuting into the Boston Medical Area on my DL1 after a few harrowing non-stops (and eventually sold it). That ride and the taxi/pedestrian targets even made me put a front caliper brake on my coaster-brake Columbia!

Neal

Rod brakes are not that feeble, but the wheel needs to be true in all directions to get the best performance. If one has that they modulate quite well, nevertheless my Apollo by Phillips does also have a coaster brake as part of its Sturmey Archer 3 speed hub, got to love the redundancy.

A bike suitable for running off curbs, and running over small dogs and wayward children.

Apollo by Phillips, the Super Steel Bicycle. Where the chrome still shines bright, got to love Britiash chrome during the Empire Period.