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They look more L brakes or t brakes.
Don't know but this is how they started
http://mombat.org/MOMBAT/BikeHistoryPages/Marinovative.html
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Next letter on from the last attempt, U?
Vertical? As in vertical arms? Always wondered myself to be honest.
The story I'd heard (and liked, and therefore told everyone else) was that it was originally a french invention, way back in the days of penny farthings etc. and was called the 'Velocitard' (s****).
It proved too powerful/grabby for massive wheels so it was ditched for something else. When Shimano found the patent/design they saw the benefits, but because the Japanese (and this is the bit I find slightly dubious) couldn't pronounce 'Velocitard' they just shortened it to 'V'.
Ta-da!
Because u brakes were rubbish and these were one better.
Sorry beaten to it.
Invented by aliens, before eating us...
What else ya gonna call em?
But you had u brakes, then cantilevers and then v brakes. Kinda buggers up the letter theory!
What else ya gonna call em?
Vertical long-armed straddleless through-pull cantilevers, of course.
because they 'r'.
oh, wrong joke.
v for vice.
there were loads of theories at the time they were released by shimano but never any confirmation from the big S themselves.