On Mon, 29 Sep 2014 10:35:03 +1000, James
wrote:

On 29/09/14 10:22, John B. Slocomb wrote:


But it is all a tempest in a teapot, isn't it.

Or is there some mechanical, physical or psychological reason for
having a break actuator in any particular place? The bikes that I
first rode the brake actuator built into the pedal system - pedal
forward and the bike went ahead; pedal backward and it stopped.

The "pedal backward and it stopped" for me was more like slowed with a
skid until stopped.

Well, my first bike my father bought for me. Third or fourth hand, for
a couple of dollars because the brake didn't work. My first exposure
with mechanics :-). It took a while but I finally got it back together
and it worked!
--
Cheers,

John B.