Dad's old bike

• Brendan Quirk

• May 5, 2020

The picture makes one think the bike is neglected. I hope you still ride it!

 

• PerA

• May 5, 2020

Still do! Bougth a new (antique) saddle last summer - it cost me a fortune. Unfortunately wheels are not perfectly circular, but works.

 

• pentaxuser

• May 6, 2020

It must be exciting going downhill. I cannot see any brake levers on the handlebars or any brake calipers on the wheels

 

• PerA

• May 8, 2020

Ordinary back-pedal brake (I think they are called) - the only kind of brake that was common on standard bikes until the 70's in Sweden I would think (I suppose they still are used on new bikes)

 

• SJC1952

• May 8, 2020

It must be a fixed wheel. It's an impressive looking bike.

 

• pentaxuser

• May 8, 2020

Thanks PerA. No, SJC1952, I don't think it is a fixed wheel. If it was, I don't think the back pedalling brake would operate. I have only seen one bike with a back pedalling brake and that belonged to a friend of mine when we were still about 10 years old in the 1950s The back pedalling brake was rare in the U.K even in the 1950s It is an amazing piece of engineering

 

• PerA

• May 8, 2020

The bike enthusiast should be able to tell what this kind of brake is called. By the way Hermes bikes were made by Nymans in Uppsala, Sweden, where my father lived at that time.

 

• Brendan Quirk

• May 8, 2020

I think the brake would be what we called the "coaster brake".