Hi Richard.
I’m a bit puzzled by your comments as the 1927/8 frames had longer, not shorter frame chainstays than the later frames. As your bike is a bitsa and you are not bothered about originality, I would be inclined to throw the very heavy and cumbersome crossover shaft, levers, pedal, etc., onto the shelf or under the bench, and save a few pounds in weight by making up a cable operated rear brake instead. If you look at the right-hand side mounted, and forward pivotted pedal on a standard vintage Flyer, you need to fabricate a pedal that is similar but left-handed, and pivotting in one of the “spare” holes in the left-hand frame bottom member. You can then run a well hidden cable from it, crossing over to the R/H side somewhere around the mag platform, and ending at a cable stop bolted onto the rear brake plate. The wheel can then be moved backwards or forwards at will to adjust the chain, without upsetting the brake adjustment at all !
I would use a very heavy gauge cable for the job, something like the gauge used for a car handbrake would be suitable as you can exert a lot more tension with your foot than you can with hand levers….Better safe than sorry.
Regards
Brian
