Author Topic: What was the first BMX frame to come with (welded on) Brake lugs? (Read 2133 times)

SaMAlex · « **on:** January 17, 2013, 11:21 AM »

I was talking to Johann yesterday and today about which was the first BMX frame to come with brake lugs (U-brake I guess, but canti lugs might make a good parallel question).

I know that GT and Haro were both doing U-brakes on frames in the mid-to-late 80s (and they both stopped putting them on frames in the early 90s). And there was also a whole wave of people doing it again in the early 90s.
Johann remembers seeing photos of an early Street Beat (proto?) that had brake lugs.

Anyone got any suggestions?

SaMAlex · « **Reply #1 on:** January 17, 2013, 11:45 AM »

Oh, Ive found a photo of a Street Beat with brake lugs. I dont know much about Street Beats but I think this is a later frame, right?

emerbmx · « **Reply #2 on:** January 17, 2013, 11:57 AM »

I nicked this off Owen William's facebook, he saw it in a shop window in London a while back. It looks like an 85/86

Alex has just made a good point
"That one defo looks factory fit, what with all the cable guides. All the other pics that came up on google search didnt have mounts. Im also sure I saw them on a real early Vander prototype frame."

Dark Diggler · « **Reply #3 on:** January 17, 2013, 11:58 AM »

Torker were at it in 86 with the 540 air

emerbmx · « **Reply #4 on:** January 17, 2013, 12:05 PM »

Quote from: Dark Diggler on January 17, 2013, 11:58 AM

Torker were at it in 86 with the 540 air

Good call - wasn't expecting that
Are we allowed to put museum links here? There's an 86 on the museum

pickle · « **Reply #5 on:** January 17, 2013, 12:07 PM »

The white and red Beats were out in 86

These ones were out in 88

SaMAlex · « **Reply #6 on:** January 17, 2013, 12:39 PM »

I think that white/red one in the window has a cable guide under the downtube. Half way along at the end of the white part. So I guess that might make the skyway and the Torker both 1986.

What year were the Haro Sports with the 990s on the top of the chainstay?

emerbmx · « **Reply #7 on:** January 17, 2013, 12:43 PM »

Thanks Pickle.
It's unusual as I've not seen another 86 Street beat with lugs and don't appear to be able to find another online. I'm guessing this was a small production run, rather than a one off, anyone clarify?

The Sports with lugs were 87

nosepickben · « **Reply #8 on:** January 17, 2013, 01:53 PM »

The earliest frames I can remember with lugs would be a haro sport or group 1, 1988? Or a dyno compe/pro compe
What about mongoose decades? They had u-brake lugs under the chainstays didn't they? 1987??
I don't remember GT's having lugs that early, my '91 aggressor needed a trip to the welders after I got fed up with a pitbull.

pickle · « **Reply #9 on:** January 17, 2013, 01:55 PM »

the original Decades used the shimano centre pull brake, not 990's as far as i know.

pickle · « **Reply #10 on:** January 17, 2013, 01:57 PM »

Quote from: emerbmx on January 17, 2013, 12:43 PM

Thanks Pickle.
It's unusual as I've not seen another 86 Street beat with lugs and don't appear to be able to find another online. I'm guessing this was a small production run, rather than a one off, anyone clarify?

The Sports with lugs were 87

the serial number on mine says 85 but they came out in 86

nosepickben · « **Reply #11 on:** January 17, 2013, 02:00 PM »

Quote from: pickle on January 17, 2013, 01:55 PM

the original Decades used the shimano centre pull brake, not 990's as far as i know.

Ahh right. It's a shady memory, I just remember the brake being down below on my mate's decade. It seemed "futuristic" at the time..

SaMAlex · « **Reply #12 on:** January 17, 2013, 02:05 PM »

Quote from: nosepickben on January 17, 2013, 01:53 PM

I don't remember GT's having lugs that early, my '91 aggressor needed a trip to the welders after I got fed up with a pitbull.

The late 80s performers had 990s (is the one in this pic an 87?)
I heard that in the early 90s GT stopped putting Brake mounts on bikes because "kids" were having problems setting up U-brakes.
Sidepull brakes gave their bike shops much less problems.

SaMAlex · « **Reply #13 on:** January 17, 2013, 02:18 PM »

Quote from: emerbmx on January 17, 2013, 12:43 PM

The Sports with lugs were 87

Just so we got pics of them all, here are the 1987 Haro Sport and Master.

It is beginning to look like 87 was the year that brake mounts started (even if Haro and GT stopped using them for a while)

nosepickben · « **Reply #14 on:** January 17, 2013, 02:33 PM »

Yes I remeber that GT now, thet were the ones that came in neon pink weren't they?
Did the U-brake come from mtb's? I had a peugeot mtb in the very late 80's that had a shimano rear u-brake but this thread suggests that u-brakes had been around for a couple of years by then...
So come on then, who made the first u-brake? And for which specific bike??

SaMAlex · « **Reply #15 on:** January 17, 2013, 02:44 PM »

Quote from: nosepickben on January 17, 2013, 02:33 PM

Did the U-brake come from mtb's?

Yeah, early MTBs had Canti brakes but some also came with U-brakes on the rear. Often on the Chain stays. I think that late early Muddy Foxes and also Sarasen's had them. Some Sarasens even had front and rear U-brakes

Dannywhac · « **Reply #16 on:** January 17, 2013, 02:47 PM »

The one and only bike other than a BMX I've owned was a Saracen in the 80's - that had U-brakes rear, canti's front.

There, I went and admitted I've owned a mountain bike.

SaMAlex · « **Reply #17 on:** January 17, 2013, 02:48 PM »

Oh, and those GT MTBs with the funny seat stays and extra triangle .... they had rear U-brakes. That was late 80s at least.

Dannywhac · « **Reply #18 on:** January 17, 2013, 02:57 PM »

Yeah - think my Saracen was '87? Them triple triangle GT's were around in 87/88 I think?

SaMAlex · « **Reply #19 on:** January 17, 2013, 03:02 PM »

I think the first, white painted Muddy Foxes had Canti front and rear. It was the later ones (that had a Yellow Explorer) that had the U-brakes (I was working in a bike shop when they came out). I'd believe that was 87 ish. It's looking like U-brakes (Dia Compe 990s, or Shimano) started to be on MTBs and BMXs in 1987.

SaMAlex · « **Reply #20 on:** January 17, 2013, 03:09 PM »

This was the first MTB I saw with a u-brake. I think they were out in 88, so a bit after BMXs were using them $:-\$

emerbmx · « **Reply #21 on:** January 17, 2013, 03:09 PM »

I think the Scorpian breakdancer had 2 rear brakes- an extra rear U brake? As well as the rear caliper, both were bolt on though.

BMX Action did a feature on a BMX with Cantis, or rollercams in 83/84, but they were also bolt on.

SaMAlex · « **Reply #22 on:** January 17, 2013, 03:34 PM »

Thats really interesting Johann, thanks for bring those up. Next time someone ask about the first Bolt-on center-pull brakes, then you'll be spot on topic.
Shame its no use at all on this WELDED ON BRAKE LUGS thread!!!

fugazi · « **Reply #23 on:** January 17, 2013, 03:37 PM »

I'm thinking early '87, didn't really make My brakes any better with Tuffs though until I figured out how to set them up

emerbmx · « **Reply #24 on:** January 17, 2013, 03:47 PM »

Quote from: S&MAlex on January 17, 2013, 03:09 PM

This was the first MTB I saw with a u-brake. I think they were out in 88, so a bit after BMXs were using them $:-\$

Thats really interesting Alex, thanks for bringing this up. Next time there's a subject of U brakes on MTBs, then you'll be spot on forums. What is this RADMTB.co.uk