How effective/safe are rod brakes?

[Globalti]

To answer your original question, rod brakes aren't very effective because they have to work on chromed rims but they're perfectly safe if you make allowance for the lack of effect.

 

[roley poley]

Do you know exactly what model of Raleigh it is?

on looking at it in the harsh light of day I now see it has had some sort of head on in its past so a no go for me.Maybe he couldn't stop in time!!! no frame number will save the old style mudguards and bits for the future

 

[SkipdiverJohn]

Mine's been crashed as well, and the left hand fork blade took the brunt of the impact. Main frame looks unscathed. I've sort-of straightened it out as much as I can cold, without resorting to oxy-acetylene (as I didn't want to risk melting the brass and having to re-braze it), and it rides fine now even with a small amount of residual damage remaining. If a scrap compatible donor turns up cheap, I'll swap the forks out, in the meantime it'll get used as it is..

 

[roley poley]

If a scrap compatible donor turns up
[/QUOTE]pm me if you pass through leeds its yours