Folding Bikes - What Type of Rear Brake is This?

As you can tell I am new to folders. I am looking for some info on the rear brake of my bike. It appears to be a band wrapped around an enclosed drum. Is this called a band brake? drum brake? roller brake? It stops really well and is very quiet. I want to replace the rear tire so what is the correct way to disconnect the brake. It works so well that I don't want to lose my current adjustment.

Its a drum brake.

http://www.sheldonbrown.com/gloss_dr-z.html#drum

Why do you want to replace the wheel? I am sure this brake is connected to a special hub, so if you remowe the wheel you also remowe the brake.

Do you want to uppgrade the rim? You can do that and keep the hub/brake. We need more close up pix to tell you more.

Its a drum brake.

http://www.sheldonbrown.com/gloss_dr-z.html#drum

Actually, no, I think this one's a band brake. They are common on cheap Chinese bikes these days.

Like most hub brakes, there's a reactor arm that attaches to the left chain stay; you have to disconnect that (phillips screwdriver). Then loosen the axle nuts (you have plastic covers on them now; don't worry about losing them, they are packing material) and your wheel will come out. I can't tell, from your photo, whether the brake will still connect the wheel to the rest of the bike, but even if it does, you can change your tire at this point.


Why do you want to replace the wheel? ... Do you want to uppgrade the rim? ...

No, he said he wants to replace the tire.

Thanks rhm. I believe this bike is from Taiwan (same as China right?) and is ~ 10 years old. Except for cracking on the tires everything works well. It has a basic Shimano SIS 6 spd which seems to shift very well. It is quite light and folds very compactly. I paid very little for it - it will be used for camping only. What I don't understand is why put a 'band brake' on the rear instead of a caliper brake which would be cheaper? (The front is an old-style caliper brake).

My understanding is that the band brake is a cheap alternative to a caliper-- a really cheap band brake will work okay, while a caliper at the same quality level will have all kinds of adjustment problems and doesn't stop very well anyway.

My other folder is from the late 70's, is really heavy, doesn't fold very compact, has caliper brakes front and rear, but I really enjoy riding it as well. The band brake seems to have much better stopping power than the rear caliper, even with new pads. Too bad there are no tabs for v-brakes or discs. My full size bike is a Giant Yukon and the discs on it are amazing compared to the old calipers!

I had an old scrap bike that had a band brake on it.
The brake bell that attaches to the hub, screwed onto threads on the side of the hub
think the hub was a flip flop. IE threaded on both sides for a freewheel.
Think the brake backplate with the band on it, was on the axle, with the lock nut holding it onto there
It would be slighty more hassle if a spoke broke as the brake bell and the freewheel would have to be removed.

I had an old scrap bike that had a band brake on it.
The brake bell that attaches to the hub, screwed onto threads on the side of the hub
think the hub was a flip flop. IE threaded on both sides for a freewheel.
Think the brake backplate with the band on it, was on the axle, with the lock nut holding it onto there
It would be slighty more hassle if a spoke broke as the brake bell and the freewheel would have to be removed.

On the ones I've seen, the brake was screwed to the hub without a locknut; I have no idea how you would remove it. A broken spoke would total the wheel.

would the braking force not be towards the rear?
so if the hub was flip flop for freewheels on both sides, the brake bell would get tightened up with use.

I looked up Band brakes and found a far east company that listed them at $1 to $2 dollars each. Same price as there V brakes.

... is from Taiwan (same as China right?) .

If you consider Canada and the US are the same then the answer is yes.

;-)

Kam

I've used band brakes, they worked well in all weathers :thumb:

I have used a band or belt, brake they are fitted on older Diblasi. Stopped fine but noisy and lacked progression in the wet. Completely ineffective if travelling backwards by the way!!