Originally Posted by
JPprivate
I am always surprised when this discussion comes up. I have now an old bike with center-pull cantilevers, but I always preferred coaster brakes. And I still think coaster brakes work better (as in slows the bike down quicker), but maybe it's just that my brakes are old (however well maintained).
When it comes to braking hard, no, they don't work better. Because of weight transfer, it's much easier to lock up the rear wheel than it is the front; once a tire is skidding, it's not contributing nearly as much braking force. I can brake hard with the front only, then lightly tap the rear lever to skid the rear wheel just for kicks.
For most situations, though, coaster brakes work well enough.