Bikesalot

Has anyone here ever built up a roadie single with a coaster brake? I have an old Reynolds 531 frame I built up as a singlespeed commuter with front brake, but I'm having reservations about trusting all my braking to one thin cable. The clean look with only one cable really appeals to me, so I'm exploring coaster brakes as a backup stopping method. Any tales of performance, weight, friction, mechanical woes etc. are appreciated.

Cheers!

Phatman

coaster brake? on a road bike? eeeeewwwwww....

Kev

Just go fixed gear no need for coaster brake then

Bikesalot

I first built up the bike as a fixie, but it blew my knees out in a very bad way. I've had knee pain caused by cycling before, but nothing like what happened after two vigorous months of riding only the fixie. Iliotibial band syndrome (ITBS) is a painful condition but rarely serious in the long term. The intense, constant spinning and backpedaling contributed to the injury. I liked the fixie experience but I don't want to put up with another 6 weeks of physical therapy and no biking for three months. Another problem with the fixed gear drivetrain was that the frame was old-school road, so it had a relatively low bottom bracket. Even with 165mm cranks and careful form I had several pedal strikes, one so bad that it potato-chipped the rear wheel. The freewheel that's on it now is a good compromise and I love the way the bike looks and handles, so I want to keep it on the road. A coaster brake would allow a clean framed singlespeed coastie with two brakes. I have no experience with coaster brakes, so I wanted to throw out the question in case anybody in this forum had tried it out on a road bike.

cheers

Grunk

Why do you need 2 brakes if you have a coaster brake?

horndude

It will work.....Ive run a SS mtn that way,and had plenty of fixies w/o brakes,one good sticky back tire gives plenty of traction to stop.Get a KT coaster brake hub with trim kit from bikepartsusa.com,it comes spaced at 111mm.....it will fit almost anything w/spacers added.My only bad experience with coaster brake was it was a little tough to modulate the brake...they are a little touchy when new,and a dead stop meant lifting rear of bike and flipping pedal back around.....no different than a fixed gear.They also dont engage instantly like a freewheel,there's about 1/4 to 1/2 turn of cranks till your pedaling again.Run about an 75-80" gear on a roadie and would prob be a decent combo.

OneTinSloth

why not just put a rear brake on? or is it not a road frame now?

Bikesalot

It's a roadie frame, old-school lugged steel w/Campy dropouts circa the 1960's. A rear caliper brake would definitely work, but I like the clean look with no cables running to the rear wheel. I'd like to keep it that way if possible.

Horndude-thanks for the tip. Did you find the 1/4 to 1/2 turn before engagement to be a nuisance during normal use?

horndude

Not so much of a nuissance but aggravating....takes some getting used to,although Im sure after a few hundred miles it would be no big deal.Im just used to everything reacting instantly......being around peds and dodging cars all day(Im a messenger) makes it kinda of important to me for the bike to do exactly what I want w/o any delays.OTOH,ditching the v-brakes or calipers would be nice....brake pads dont last very long in my job LOL.

bikerchas55

Has anyone out there ever had a brake cable fail? I certainly haven't. However if this is what's running through your head as your reaching mach 1 in city traffic then of course consider a rear brake but isn't a quality hub with a coaster an oxymoron? I have a city cruiser built up with a classic old steel frame and a shimano nexus 7sp hub with a coaster. I've had the hub apart trying to see if I could defeat the coaster but even with Sheldon Brown on the case it seems hopeless. Bottom line is I don't want the coaster because: (a) don't need it (b) much better to be able to backpedal freely when using clips in traffic, at stop lights etc.

Grunk

Bikerchase55,

Check out this link for disengaging the brake of a coaster brake:

https://www.standardbyke.com/acontent.../unbrake1.html

Its made for BMX bikes. Flatlanders use them so their pedals don't go backwards when the bike goes backwards. I don't know if it will work in your hub or not, but its cheap.

cory

schwinnbikelove

Dear Bikesalot,

Were you still thinking about doing this? I've just completed my Schwinn Super LeTour this way and it's my favorite bike now! (although I've never done any other single (besides a cruiser)or fixed). Let me know!

shecky

Coaster brake on a road bike isn't a bad idea, really. Kinda combines the worst aspects of single speed and fixed gear all in one! Over the years, I've known of a couple people to do this, mostly out of simplicity and need for practical trouble free operation. There are millions of practical transportation bikes out there that are single speed coaster brake bikes. And of course, way back in the day, MTBs commonly used them.

I'm going to convert my old beater MTB (which sadly no longer sees any mountains) into a "urban assault machine" (I have no idea what that means, but I heard it recently and I like the image it conjures) by bolting on a coaster brake wheel and 1.25" slicks. I think I'm gonna have to leave in the front canti brakes, though.

I was a bit inspired by this web site to do it:
https://weirscyclery.com/bobsingle.htm

Interestingly, the web page describes using a old Bendix hub, which brings up a few questions for me. I wonder if there is such a thing as a "high performance" coaster brake hub? the one I have is a recent no name model. I haven't seen a Bendix hub in years, but thn again, I don't really keep an eye out for them. If my coaster MTB ends up working out well, I might go on the lookout for a old Bendix or Sachs two speed automatic hub.

Lastly, years ago, I did convert a old Bendix hub into a freewheel. I think I recall a article in a old BMX mag how to do it. IIRC, it involved removing the brake shoes and adding a couple washers to keep the clutch from unscrewing. Anyone ever do this? I wonder how practica it would be to turn a coaster brake hub into a fixed gear? Hmm...

schwinnbikelove

I really, REALLY wish my digital camera wasn't out for repair right now, or I'd post a pic. The hub I used is a Schwinn anniversary (which would be 1995) chrome steel coaster hub that was used on the cruisers. The spacing is different (what is the spacing on an 80's road bike? I know nothing about spacing), but works with axle spacers, and a spacer on the bolt that holds the brake arm to the frame. It's ugly as heck, but works super so far. I only payed $10 for the hub, too, so I couldn't go wrong. It's actually become my favorite bike by far. Short of getting tubeless tires for it, I can't imagine how it could become any less trouble free.

Shecky- I'm probably going to put a front brake on mine, too. It makes more sense to wear out brake pads instead of a hub sometimes.

Good luck with the mountain bike!

shecky

FWIW, Here's another interesting link I found of a one speed coaster brake road bike:
https://www.mindspring.com/~d.g1/peugeot.htm

shecky

Yet another link:
https://vandesselsports.com/b_straightUp.shtml
This one looks pretty.

familyman

And another one. Sexy and weird all in one.
https://www.bikecult.com/works/collections/daveTL.html

Bikesalot

schwinnbikelove-

I decided not to go with the coaster hub for several reasons--one being the fact that I couldn't dig up a high-quality coaster anywhere. The second was that I had a well-maintained used freewheel hub from a previous bike, so it made sense to just have a wheel built up around it. Citybikes here in PDX did the wheelbuilding and it turned out great. I installed dual-pivot brakes front and rear, and while it did spoil the clean lines a little, the stop-on-a-dime braking is worth it. Wet rims increase stopping distances only a few feet. With a set of fenders, it's very practical for day-to-day riding, and it's by far my favorite bike. If I ever get a digital camera, I'll post a pic here.

schwinnbikelove

Bikesalot,

By dual-pivot, do you mean centerpull road calipers? Well, good to hear that you enjoy your new bike. Can never see too many pictures, either. My camera is at Argus getting repaired as I type...

If you have the means, I would say don't hesitate to try it if you find a quality coaster hub. The one I have may be all steel (not good for weight conscious, lol) but seems indestructible and very reliable. I would say my braking is around 1/4 backpedal. This bike is seriously making me want to make another. Also, it is nice not worrying about cables or adjustments. Have fun riding!!!

Familyman,

Is it just me or what? If I were the builder for that last bike, I wouldn't have taken close up shots. The craftsmanship isn't the greatest. But who am I to judge?

Bikesalot

By dual-pivot, I mean the modern style of side-pull brakes. The brake arm pivots are arranged in such a way that vastly increases the clamping force at the rim compared to older-style single pivot brakes. Most newer road bikes use them. The braking force is comparable to mountain bike style V-brakes, but the dual-pivots are much lighter and easier to install. IMHO, they are the best choice for road bikes if you want a rim brake setup.

Cheers!

smurfy

Coaster brake question...

The LBS I used to work at was overhauling a 50yr old Huffy and it had a very unusual coaster brake. The brake didn't work well so when I took it apart it had "clutch pack" in it instead of the usual steel pads, similar to an automatic transmission in a car or a wet clutch in a motorcycle transmission. This hub seemed to be very high quality compared to today's cheap hubs but it was just worn out and, of course no parts were available for it so I cleaned, relubed and put it back together.

Anybody know about these? This one might be a good choice if you can find an old one that's NOS or just lightly worn.

meatwad

I've got a New Departure hub like that. Haven't had the chance to try it out though to see if the brakeing is better or not though I would assume so. It does appear high quality. Impressively so.
Perry, Styra,Komet, Morrow also made fine hubs.

Jonny B

That probably won't work, unless you have a Suntour coaster brake, and besides, it's not neccassary. All you have to do is remove the brake shoes. Standard Unbrakes are just basically washers (and you can use normal washers too), that take up some of the slack in the clutch. This reduces the amount of slack in the cranks (without, you have to pedal 1/2 a turn before you move, with it can be less than 1/4).

The best freecoaster available (coaster without the brake) is the Nankai Technolite, but I don't know if there is a braked version available.

yoni

Yeah, like someone else said, it may be hard (or impossible) to find a coaster hub that's high quality in terms of weight, but as far as trustworthiness, a lot of 'em are built like a tank. And easy to find (or at least in new orleans they are). Look for bikes in thrift stores and garage sales. Or just try and find a taco'd wheel on a coaster hub. lots of 'em work perfectly after an overhaul, even without replacing any parts.

I saw a few people riding coaster-brake road bikes in Minneapolis and Portland this summer and wondered why I hadn't thought of it when all my friends were making their ss freewheel bikes. A roommate and I both made coaster road wheels recently and are loving them. Totally my favorite thing to ride right now, even though the frame I'm using is way too big for me.

All the simplicity of a track bike sans cables and levers, plus I can coast (but I'm not such a sporty guy, so I like coasting).

Anyway, I'm rambling. But I highly recommend it. Glad to see others are enthusiastic.

cheers,
y.

shecky

I wholeheartedly agree. I've been riding a one speed coaster brake bike exclusively for a few weeks now, and it's a blast.

I haven't been able to give up the front brakes, though.

Seems coaster brake hubs are a very mature technology. The tend to be quite robust and simple to service. Around here, they turn up in the dumpsters all the time.