I had checked about Mafac-driver-type cantilever brake which was produced by Yoshigai with the documents on hand, because it had become a topic when we gathered at Sekido bridge flea market in the autumn 2009.

I had found two articles below in the new products introduction page of the back issue of New cycling magazine.

1. The September, 1968 issue: Mafac- driver-type cantilever brake was announced.
2. The July, 1973 issue: CLB type cantilever brake (# 960) was announced.


Therefore I could say that Mafac-driver-type cantilever brake which was made by Yoshigai had been produced for five years.

As for the detail, look at images below. I also show the technical lecture "General knowledge of bicycle brake" of the April, 1957 issue of Cycle magazine in the end of this page as related materials.

1. From the new product memo of New cycling magazine.

This is the new product memo of the September, 1968 issue. Mafac-driver-type cantilever brake which was produced by Yoshigai was introduced in this page.

Next is the product news of the July, 1973 issue. CLB type (#960) was introduced in this page. Five years passed after the announcement of driver type.

This is a large image.

2. From the Tomoda World parts list No.1

This book was issued in the April 1974. Both driver type and CLB type were introduced in this book.

This is the front cover. World parts list was made by cycle shop Tomoda of Osaka as a mail order catalog. It was revised several times, and the last was issued in the June 1993.

The driver type of the Dia-compe cantilever brake set was printed on the upper left of the 43 page.

This is the large image.

The several kinds of brake shoe were introduced in this page (No.91). I drew red circle on the shoe of Mafac-drive-type cantilever brake of Yoshigai.

This is a large image.
The shoe form was not obvious because of print tone. However, I supposed it was same shoe which I saw at Sekido Bridge.

New cantilever brake set of DIA was printed on the second from the upper left of the page 132. This model was so-called CLB type #960 which had been produced for a long time as Yoshigai cantilever brake.

In the world parts list, new products were printed after page 118. I suppose those new products may have been not announced yet when Tomoda cycle began to make the book.

This is the large image.
This model were used for mass-production touring bicycle to the early 80s from the middle of 70s.

3. From the catalog of Katakura Silk sports in 1974

I put an image of camping bicycle below as a typical model which was equipped with cantilever brake.
In this catalog, the bicycle was equipped with the driver type. I suppose the catalog manufacture must have been begun by the end of previous year at the latest. Therefore driver type cantilever brakes might have been still provided to bicycle maker at the time. However, #960 type already appeared in the catalog of Marubeni-Yamaguch Bennyx in 1973. Katakura Silk also changed the brake to #960 type in the next catalog. It means that mass-production makers had changed the brake from Mafac-driver type to CLB type (#960) between 1973 and 1974.

This is so-called "Sil-can". Only the Silk of this year was equipped with the chain-wheel Sakae Custom 3. I put a large photo of the brake. I can definitely say that it was Mafac-driver type.

This is the large image.
All above materials suggest that mass-production maker changed the brake from Mafac-driver type to CLB type (#960) between 1973 and 1974.

4. From the advertisement of Yokoo Sourinkan

This is the advertisement of Yokoo Sourinkan in the July 1970 issue of New cycling magazine. A word "DIA cantilever brake" appeared in the specification of Holks RS7 special which was fast-ride touring model. If you look at the photo closely, you would be able to recognize Mafac-driver-type cantilever brake.

5. Related material; From the May 1958 issue of Cycle magazine

I show the technical lecture "general knowledge of a bicycle brake" of the May, 1958 issue of Cycle magazine . We can say that Cycle magazine was the former magazine of the new cycling magazine. It was issued by Cycle Jiho in the May 1953. The May 1958 issue was 5th anniversary number.

"General knowledge of a bicycle brake" was composed of the list of domestic sports bicycle brake and technical explanation. Two kinds of cantilever brake were introduced in it. The function of brake has been almost same until now. However, it is interesting because we can surmise the quality and the function of brake of those days from the Aoridome (Locking tilt).

These are the front cover and the back cover.
The first cycling boom had happened in those days, and the cycling became popular among young people as a reasonable pleasure. Of course to buy a bicycle was not so easy because of cheap income of those days. So there was a lot of rental bicycle shop around the tourist resort.

The rear derailleur Sankosha F-1 type on the back cover was attached on a rear hub shaft. It was standard type in those days.

"General knowledge of a bicycle brake" starts from here and continue through 10 pages.

Most of domestic sports bicycle brakes in those days such as Tokyo brake, Arai brake, Yoshikawa brake, DIA (Yoshigai) brake, Seika brake, Hozumi brake, and Tange brake, were introduced together with the photos.

Arai brake is present Arai Industrial Corporation. Yoshikawa brake is present Yoshikawa Industrial Corporation. And DIA brake is present Yoshigai Corporation.
A lot of brakes of Arai and Yoshikawa (YSB) are used for city bicycle and kids bicycle even now.

Several brake levers were introduced in this page.
Lever pad was attached to only the products of Tokyo brake. DIA did not make technical tie-up with Weinmann yet. So there wasn't model #144 which was familiar to my generation. The products of Tokyo brake had been sold with the name "SD Mafac-type" until mid 70s.

Two kinds of brake were introduced together with photos.
The cantilever brake of the right was produced by TOEI. I have heard that you still can order it even now.
The brake of the left was produced by Seika. Its shape was similar to CLB. I don't know whether this brake was sold as single item or attached to a completed tour bicycle and sold as a part of bicycle. I had seen an advertisement of this brake in the April 1957 issue of Cycle magazine.

The catalog introduced the Aoridome (Locking tilt) in the bottom of page.
The devices in these photos were attached to the front brake; and hooked to the front fork so that the brake arch didn't tilt in the direction of movement when you use the front brake. As for the rear brake, the device was formed in L-shaped. It pushed back the brake arch when you used the rear brake.
The brake body of those days was not strong enough. It bent at times. Nowadays, we don't need this kind of device of course. We can get appropriate braking force even if we pull a brake lever with single finger. We can recognize the efforts of parts maker, and the improvement of the technology and the materials.

The left page was an advertisement of Hikari bicycle.
The bicycle which Mitsue Kitahara (a wife of Japanese famous actor Yujiro Ishihara) who was a Miss Hikari was riding, must have been equipped with Tokyo crossbow cantilever brake.
By the way, there's a notification following in the ad; "make a reservation in the Shirakiya information bureau of Tokyu Tourist". Shirokiya department store was known as "Shirokiya major fire". It was the former shop of Tokyu Department Store Nihonbashi shop.
The advertisement of Tokyo brake was printed on the right side. It introduced an early forging caliper brake which was made of aluminum. I could feel their pride from the word "JCA (Japan cycle association) recommendation".

Here are advertisements of Yoshigai and Yoshikawa.
"Downhill brake" of Yoshigai was the one that you could brake without pulling a lever. However, the catch phrase "by the stopper, you can ride at downhill safely without gripping a handlebar" is never accepted now.
Yoshikawa seemed to had a large market share as a brake for sports bicycle of those days. There is the word "JCA (Japan cycling association) recommendation", too.