Outside MEC I had the pleasure of talking to a very stylish couple who had ridden up on two interesting bikes. His had homemade wooden fenders with brass fittings, and a kickback two speed hub. Hers was an old German bike with rod actuated brakes.
If you look closely at this photo, you can see the shoe that is being pressed downward onto the front tire.
Shoe Brake
July 3, 2011 by jnyyz
Biking in a Big City 
Very cool bike find! Was it a Rudge? Lovely artwork on the front fender and headbadge.
I don’t think so. The headbadge doesn’t look like this:
http://www.retro.net/db/Rudge_Bicycle/1865/
besides they said it was German