-=> Quoting Lucas Paruch to David Martorana <=-
 LP> you buy a bike and not a toy from a department store.  Quality bikes
 LP> (and even some toys these days) no longer use caliper breaks.  They
 LP> sort of faded out around 1990 on quality bikes.
Road bikes all use caliper brakes.
 LP>                                                  Bikes use cantalevered
 LP> breaks.
Cantilever brakes are commonly used on off-road, hybrid, and touring bikes.
 LP>         Each pad is anchored to the fork/rear triangle by a small lever
 LP> on either side of the wheel.  Two cables are cantelevered above the two
 LP> break mechanisms.  When you pull the break lever, the pads are forced
 LP> into the wheel, and you come to a stop -- much faster than you would
 LP> with coaster breaks because you can use the front wheel also.  Don't
Caliper brakes also have pads on either side of the wheel.  They are mounted
on the calipers which are closed by pressure on the brake lever.  Caliper
brakes operate on both the front and rear wheel.  The only difference between
caliper and cantilever brakes is the mechanism by which the pads are brought
into contact with the wheels.
 LP> I actually had a three speed once in my early cycling days (grade
 LP> school). It was nothing but problems.  It seldom shifted properly, the
 LP> coaster breaks went out after a few months, it needed repair within
 LP> the first month, and after about four months I got rid of it (ie junked
 LP> it, no market for a bike like that).  I now have 24 LX controlled gears
My experience with three speed gearing systems is similar to yours.
    ===  ==== =   _@
    Ken Peck +  _ \<._
    =========  (_)/ (_)   Kenneth_Peck@clr.com
... Nobody notices when things go right.
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