How effective/safe are rod brakes?

[MontyVeda]

There's an old bike in the cellar which i'd love to resurrect; single speed, sit-up-and-beg bars, step-through frame, no front wheel and rod brakes... make unknown (only because it's behind a lot of junk). Probably quite a lot of work involved as it looks like it's been repainted with Hammerite, which is covering the rod brakes too.

Potentially it's a lovely looking thing, but are such archaic objects safe to ride? ...or should it just be hung on a wall and marvelled at?

 

[FrankCrank]

Bikes with rod brakes are still made in China and India. They seem to be ubiquitous in both countries, and looking at their populations I'd say no ill effect. Not sure what they'd be like to ride in the UK, getting across Reading is bad enough on a MTB.
Expect one or two on here have experience of them, so hope they chime in.

 

[CanucksTraveller]

I restored a 1930s ladies bike (quite a long time ago now, it was found in a hedgerow in rural Cambridgeshire around 1999), that had a single rod brake. My view is that a bike equipped with them is only "dangerous" if it's ridden that way... I rode that bike as a town / riverside pootler for one summer after it was finished, I must have reached about 8mph max, and it was an absolute delight. I'd definitely recommend that you go ahead with it!

 

[Rickshaw Phil]

As some may recall, I fettled up an old 1940s Raleigh for my Aunt last year. That is the only rod-brake bike I have experience of (as an adult at least) and I thought the brakes were surprisingly effective. I'd be pretty confident riding round on it generally but would expect it to be as reluctant to stop in the wet as any other bike with chromed steel wheels.

 

[Deleted member 26715]

As a youngster in the late 60's early 70's all our bikes were rod brakes until I got a Chopper & later a Carlton Criterium, but we'd still ride round woods, quarries, jump them, we didn't know there was anything better.

 

[mjr]

I think they died out because rods are more expensive than cables and the routing is very inflexible. They're not bad until/unless the rod gets bent or a linkage snaps, but they are often paired with leather-flecked pads on steel rims which are a big step backwards from modern rim brakes.

 

[rogerzilla]

Your biggest issue is trying to stop in the wet on chromed steel rims. It's not much more effective than putting a foot down.

 

[fossyant]

Your biggest issue is trying to stop in the wet on chromed steel rims. It's not much more effective than putting a foot down.

Oh I remember the 'leather' pads on the dimpled steel rims. Absolutely useless in the wet.

 

[rogerzilla]

Oh I remember the 'leather' pads on the dimpled steel rims. Absolutely useless in the wet.

The Fibrax leather-faced pads were the wet conditions "upgrade"! Most bikes came with plain rubber blocks that were fine in the dry but did just about nothing in the rain.

 

[fossyant]

The Fibrax leather-faced pads were the wet conditions "upgrade"! Most bikes came with plain rubber blocks that were fine in the dry but did just about nothing in the rain.

I upgraded to the fibrax ones. To think I used to do club runs on my old Coventry Eagle with steel rims in the winter wet on it - the Raleigh Road Ace (531c and Shimano 600) was keeping dry. It was like a tank compared to the Raleigh.

 

[mjr]

The Fibrax leather-faced pads were the wet conditions "upgrade"! Most bikes came with plain rubber blocks that were fine in the dry but did just about nothing in the rain.

Not true! They made a nice shhhhhhhh sound(!) At least the leather pads did start to slow me a bit after a revolution.

I do wonder how someone used to a hybrid with 75-90mm modern V-brake pads on ally rims who then tries a vintage bike with 35mm rubber sidepulls on steel survives their first rainy ride. It's probably a good thing that vintage bikes are mostly kept for sunny days!

 

[SkipdiverJohn]

, but are such archaic objects safe to ride? ...or should it just be hung on a wall and marvelled at?

You can hang yours on the wall if you want, I prefer to ride mine though. I sometimes drive motors with drum brakes, no airbags and no seatbelts too. Live dangerously!

 

[MontyVeda]

You can hang yours on the wall if you want, I prefer to ride mine though. I sometimes drive motors with drum brakes, no airbags and no seatbelts too. Live dangerously!

you're ever so plucky... what what

 

[SkipdiverJohn]

I restored a 1930s ladies bike (quite a long time ago now, it was found in a hedgerow in rural Cambridgeshire around 1999), that had a single rod brake. My view is that a bike equipped with them is only "dangerous" if it's ridden that way...

As some may recall, I fettled up an old 1940s Raleigh for my Aunt last year. That is the only rod-brake bike I have experience of (as an adult at least) and I thought the brakes were surprisingly effective. I'd be pretty confident riding round on it generally but would expect it to be as reluctant to stop in the wet as any other bike with chromed steel wheels.

Like any other vehicle, whether motorised or human-powered, if you use them within their limitations, they are fine. If you act like an idiot, you'll come unstuck.
If anything, I find rod brakes actually more positive in their action than cable operated ones, and in dry conditions they are very effective - so long as your wheels are actually round that is! They're not great in the wet, but then nor are cable brakes on steel rims.
If caught out in the rain you adjust your speed and braking style accordingly; i.e. you keep drying the brakes off regularly as you ride rather than wait until you need them in an emergency.
Upright roadster bikes have a lot going for them in safety terms; the riding position gives a good view of what is going on around you, and they are generally not ridden at nutter speeds either, which means more time to react to any hazards.

 

[ChrisEyles]

I ride a 1950s Raleigh sports with rod brakes. On very steep downhills in the wet it's a bit touch and go whether you have enough stopping power, which can be a bit scary. In the dry or on moderate gradients they're fine.

I believe you can get kool stop brake pads for rod brakes. These certainly improved the performance of my mafac racer centre pulls no end, so could be worth a go if you find you need more stopping power.