The Online Bicycle Museum

HISTORY: EARLY BICYCLE BRAKES

The freewheel hub, introduced in 1898, provided a boon to the creation of better brakes and, in the following four years, many different types of front and rear brake were invented and fitted to bicycles. The majority were only in production for a short time as, by around 1904, the rim brake became the industry standard in Britain and the coaster brake in the USA.
So it’s interesting 110 years later, with the benefit of hindsight, to examine the various braking systems that were obscure almost as soon as they appeared…

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Items in this Collection

 1937 Rudge-Whitworth Roadster Model No 77 00

 1936 Rudge-Whitworth Roadster Model No 77

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1889 Quadrant Solid tyre Safety with Spring Saddle 5 copy

1889 Quadrant Solid tyre Safety with Suspension Saddle Spring

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1894 Columbia Model 34 Duplex Frame 69

1894 Columbia ‘Model 34’ (Duplex frame)

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1898 Humber Light Roadster 03

1898 Humber Light Roadster (‘The Hub’ Two-speed gear)

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FOR SALE 1898 Imperial Triumph 1

1898 Imperial Triumph No 14 Road Racer

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1898-Quadrant-Tricycle-031

1898 Quadrant Gent’s Tricycle ‘No 8B’ with Band Brake

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1899 George Ace Eadie 05

1899 ‘George Ace’ Eadie Fittings Roadster

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1899 Beeston Humber Light Roadster Convertible Tricycle 2

1899 Beeston Humber Convertible Tricycle

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1899-Eadie-Road-Racer-04

1899 Eadie Fittings Road Racer

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1899_Quadrant_Convertible_Tricycle_03

1899 Quadrant Convertible Tricycle with Band Brake

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1899 Quadrant Tricycle 05

1899 Quadrant Convertible Tricycle with Band Brake

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1900-BSA-Backpedal-Brake-08

1900 BSA Back-pedalling Brake

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1900 BSA Fittings Machine

1900 BSA Fittings Machine (Brakes: Bowden rear; thumb lever front)

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1896_Humber_Synyer_051

1900 Humber First Grade Free Wheel Lady’s Safety (with Band brake)

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1899 Lady’s Centaur 1

1900 Lady’s Centaur No 1

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1900 Le Petit Frien

1900 Le Petit Frien

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1900 ROYAL ENFIELD with Band Brake 00

1900 Royal Enfield with Eadie Band Brake

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1909 Alcyon Foot Brake 05

1900-1905 Alcyon with Rear Foot Brake

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1901 Beeston Humber Tricycle 05

1901 Beeston Humber ‘Model 14’ Convertible Tricycle (with Band brake)

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1901 Beeston Humber Tricycle 04

1901 Beeston Humber Convertible Tricycle (Cordner 3-speed gear & Band Brake)

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1901 Meteor Rover 4

1901 Lady’s Meteor-Rover No 2

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1901_New_Hudson_08

1901 New Hudson ‘Royal’ Ladies

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FOR SALE 1901 Quadrant Light Roadster 5

1901 Quadrant Light Roadster

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1901_royal_sunbeam_01

1901 Royal Sunbeam for Ladies

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1901 BSA Gents Springframe 05

1901-1903 BSA Gents’ Springframe (with Patent Backpedal Brake)

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1902 Benetfink 0

1902 Benetfink Light Roadster

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1899 Royal Enfield 05

1902 Eadie Fittings Machine with Band Brake

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1902 Quadrant Chainless Road Racer 3

1902 Quadrant Chainless Road Racer 

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1902 Quadrant Lady’s Chainless 76

1902 Quadrant Lady’s Chainless

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1902 Royal Enfield ‘Model B’ Roadster 05

1902 Royal Enfield ‘Model B’ Roadster

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1903_Humber_05

1903 Humber No. 14 Gent’s Roadster with Double-Action Backpedal Band Brake

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1903-Osmond-05

1903 Osmond Roadster

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1899 Quadrant Chainless Light Roadster 01 copy

1903 Quadrant Chainless Light Roadster (#63870)

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1904 Chater Lea X Frame Raleigh Pattern 5

1904 Chater Lea X Frame Raleigh Pattern

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chainless_trussframe_02

1904 Columbia 28″ Cushion Arch-bar Chainless Roadster with Hartford Tire Coaster Brake

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1905 Raleigh Gazelle 5 copy

1905 Raleigh Gazelle Model No 28

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1906 Raleigh 3-speed X frame Tricycle 3

1906 Raleigh 3-speed X frame Tricycle

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1 1905 BSA Springframe 3-speed

1907 BSA Spring Frame Roadster (3-speed)

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1908 Premier Tricycle with band brake 3 copy

1908 Premier Model 19 Lady’s Tricycle

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1908 Royal Enfield Duplex 05

1908 Royal Enfield Duplex Road Racer

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FOR SALE 1909 Lea Francis Men’s Cycle 40

1909 Lea-Francis Men’s Cycle (with Dursley Pedersen 3-speed gear)

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1910 Halford Club Roadster 05

1910 Halford Club Roadster

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1910 Lea-Francis 3-speed bicycle 4 copy

1910 Lea-Francis Men’s Cycle (with Lea Francis 3 speed gear)

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1910s PORTEUR Goods 05

1910 Velo Porteur ‘Goods’

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1910_Raleigh_01-copy

1910/1911 Raleigh Gents Roadster with Concealed Roller Lever Brakes

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1912 Automoto ‘Special BH’ 0

1912 Automoto ‘Special BH’ (Type Anglais)

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1912-Imperial-Triumph-29-Inch-Frame-04

1912 Imperial Triumph Tall 29″ Frame with Band Brake

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1-1912-Royal-Triumph-No-5-Roadster

1912 Royal Triumph No 5 Roadster (with Band brake)

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1914_Robin_Hood_25-copy

1915 Robin Hood Girder-Frame Roadster with Concealed Roller Lever Brakes

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1922 Meredith Bastide Racing Bicycle 0

1922 Bastide ‘Meredith’ Road-Racing Model

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1928_Rudge_03

1928 Rudge-Whitworth No 28 Lady’s Standard Bicycle (with Coupled Brakes)

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1931 Rudge-Whitworth All Weather 1

1931 Rudge-Whitworth ‘No 37’ All Weather Model

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1937 BSA 3 Speed Roadster 05

1937 BSA Club Tourist Model with Hub Brakes

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FOR SALE 1947 Frein Pyl Brake set. New-old-stock, still in box 0

1947 Frein Pyl Brake set. New-old-stock, still in box

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1893_Columbia_71

CYCLE BRAKES: 1894 Band Brake

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1908_New_Departure_Hubs_01

CYCLE BRAKES: 1898, A New Departure

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1914_Triumph_33

CYCLE BRAKES: 1900-1914, Triumph Band Brake

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EADIE-COASTER-1-copy

CYCLE BRAKES: c1908 Eadie Coaster Brochure

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