zeppinger

I completely agree but thats a bit out of my budget for the moment and I would be afraid to ruin it with road salt!

wolfchild

Well then, if Surly is too expensive then look for an older rigid fork mountain bike from the 1980's. There are a lot of older MTB's with horizontal drop outs which are perfect for coaster brake/IGH conversion. Don't worry about steel frames rusting out... I sprayed some rustproofing oil inside my steel frames and I don't worry about riding them in winter or rain.

wolfchild

Semi-vertical dropouts found on some older bikes are not good enough for me. Not enough adjustability. Why settle for a minimum ??....The more adjustability you have the better it is.
Long horizontal dropouts gives you a lot more options for gear ratio selection, very easy to change to smaller or larger chain ring/rear cog and still be able to adjust the chain tension until it's perfect. With vertical drop outs you are basically limited to one gear ratio (aka magic gear). It also takes a lot of tinkering and screwing around to find that magic gear and eventually the chain will stretch to a point where adjustment is impossible.

kickstart

Granted, horizontal dropouts like on my Gazelle and Flying Pigeon offer more versatility than semi vertical dropouts, but they were good enough for tens of millions of English and American single and 3 speeds.

zeppinger

Where did you get a Flying Pigeon and can I have one too?!?!??! I know there are one or two importers in CA but the costs have been crazy whenever I looked.

kickstart

Got it from the importer in LA for $199. The frame set and fenders are actually well made, but the hardware and components are Walmart grade junk, fortunately its all metric and contemporary standard bicycle threads so it can be upgraded easily and cheaply.

Smirksalot

I'm not sure that's entirely true about adjustment becoming impossible. I rode a ss with vertical dropouts and biopace ring for a while, and when the chain stretched out, I simply installed a rear cog one tooth larger and all was good. I do agree that vertical drops aren't the best choice for ss/fixed but it can work fairly well. Just saying.

zeppinger

Do you have a link? Thanks for the info!

kickstart

Don't know how to do a link on my phone, but its Flying Pigeon LA.

DiegoFrogs

Sorry about the delay.

Removing and re-installing the rear wheel is a bit annoying since I also have to detach the brake reaction arm from the non-drive-side chainstay, which is connected by a P-clamp. It also makes it impossible to move the pedals backwards so that I can find my starting position easily. This makes using pedals with toe clips more difficult, but I ride the bike with big, cheap, spiked BMX platform pedals. These are all minor quibbles, but I would just prefer a hand brake for the rear.

I-Like-To-Bike

To each their own. Removing and re-installing the rear wheel on a coaster wheel is hardly more time consuming or difficult than doing the same on a derailler equipped bike.

I almost never have to pedal backwards to find a starting position since 99.99% of my stops are routine so that I can stop with pedals in a suitable starting position. For the rare time when the starting position is not suitable for a jack rabbit start, I move out a little slower for a split second, no big deal IMO.

TransitBiker

If you get a tensioner, should be fine.

- Andy

wolfchild

No it won't be fine...A chain tensioner shouldn't be used with a coaster brake.

dynaryder

Hand brakes work better in the wet,and much better in the snow,because they can be modulated better. The coaster brake was the main reason I got rid of my old Swobo Otis. I was ok with dealing with the 3spd hub,but the coaster was sketchy on our steep hills in the wet.

dynaryder

Wat? On disc bikes,you flip it upside-down,pop the QR,and pull the wheel. On rim brake bikes,you add the step of opening the brake. Most coaster arms bolt to the frame and require a tool to remove them,plus the tool to loosen the 15mm hub bolts. The only tool I need for any of my derailleur bikes is the key for the security skewers.

I-Like-To-Bike

Ya mean a tool like an adjustable wrench and maybe a dime as a makeshift screw driver. OMG, the horror!

No security skewer key or opening of brake brake step necessary. Sounds like a wash to me.

Do you really carry no tools when you ride? If so, why worry about the speed of taking the rear wheel off, why would a weight weenie/tool adverse cyclist have a need to take a wheel off?

dynaryder

Last coaster I owned used Phillips. And a proper 15mm works better than an adjustable.

Sorry,forgot to add that with derailleurs,you usually have vert dropouts. With most coaster hubs,you're dealing with chain tension and wheel alignment. Also,you can easily remove a wheel from a derailleur without getting your fingers greasy or using a glove/stick/leaf. Coaster hubs you have to get the chain off the cog.

I probably carry a more comprehensive tool kit than you do,but that doesn't mean I want to mess with tools when late for something,it's raining,or I'm in a sketchy area.

Cross Creek

Remember to order the proper anti-rotation washers (different sets for horizontal, vertical, and semi-vertical dropouts). The coaster brake hub probably came with horizontal washers. Also, you may be able to remove the coaster brake and re-install the cover to use it with a rim brake. I don't remember if that works on that hub. Lastly, while chain tensioners and coaster brakes usually don't mix, the Singlelator can be used in the "push up" mode. That might just work with a coaster brake, since the chain wraps around half the cog and the pressure of braking may not be enough to push down on the spring, especially if you have a rim brake up front and aren't doing stunts. I'd try to get the best tension you can with cog/chainring/half link combinations first before trying it, though.

I-Like-To-Bike

You really are stretching while dreaming up the difficulties of a coaster brake. If a Phillips screw is too much hassle, a cyclist could invest 10 cents and change out the Phillips head to a standard screwhead. Chain and wheel alignment? Does that task really take you more than 5 seconds? Get your hands dirty? Oh my! Just how often do you remove/remount a wheel and never do any other maintenance or tire/tube repair while on a ride? All your objections sound like non issues to me.

My experience with wet weather braking reliability is 180 degrees opposite of yours; and if possible I couldn't disagree more when snowy/slushy road conditions or ice and freezing make rim brakes inoperable while coaster brake operation is unaffected by ice, rain or snow.

kickstart

Coaster brakes aren't high on my list of desirable brakes, but anything is better than rim brakes.

Its kinda amusing, talking about a little chain oil when everything else is covered in black brake grime.

TransitBiker

Since the chain ring acts as a tensioner all ready, i don't see the issue....?

- Andy

DiegoFrogs

Look at where the tension is in the system is when you're pedaling vs. braking. When braking, you tension the bottom, which would compress the spring, loosening the chain possibly causing it to come off and, more importantly, greatly reducing the ability to brake.

kickstart

If one back pedals to brake, the tensioned chain run pulls straight, and the top chain run goes slack. The only way it would work would be to use a fixed tensioner.

wolfchild

I did a singlespeed conversion few years ago on one of my MTB's with vertical dropouts and disc brakes. I used a fixed chain tensioner ( Gusset Bachelor Tensioner) which is secured with an axle nut and derailleur hanger bolt. It works ok on a SS but is far from ideal. The chain tension is never perfect, after few rides the chain develops a lot of slack. I would never use a chain tensioner on a coaster brake bike or a fixed gear drivetrain because your drivetrain is your brake, if your chain drops then you loose brake, it's just too risky.

kickstart

Agreed,
I wouldn't do it except as a temporary workaround. When I first put the 7 speed coaster on my Ross MTB, I removed the coaster brake shoes so I could keep the front triple derailleur, even the modest resistance if the IGH made it problematic.