Nice pictures, thanks for sharing
There are two kinds of people in the world, "Those who help themselves to people, and those who help people!"
Location: Jacksonville, FL, USA
Cool old bikes; scary brakes.
The first bike shop I worked in, Alameda Bicycles, in Alameda, CA, serviced a couples his and hers bikes with rod brakes similar to those in the pictures. A couple from England brought them along on their move to the states and had been riding them since the war. Surprisingly enough they do have adequate stopping power for the type of bike they are mounted to. The bikes are commuter machines and typically do not see speeds in excess of 15mph.
Another amazing thing about those bikes is that we serviced them every year and the hubs spun super smooth. A testament to sticking to a regular maintenance routine.
Downhills require drag braking to manage the speed of the bike. In comparison to modern brakes, it requires planning stops and limiting speed and knowing the limits of the brakes. Some say there really is no comparison between the two. LOL