seaneee

Not true, replacements are cheap and dime a dozen, check ebay. If you can't find what you are looking for, PM me, I have a ton of extras from 14t and up.

seaneee

GET A FRONT BRAKE!

Also, the CB series are built like sh*t. They aren't bad, just put together bad. Pull the thing apart when you get it, degrease (what little is in there) and re-grease with something good. Also, take a bit of fine to med emery paper to the inside of the hub shell, will improve your braking a ton. When you tighten down the cones, tighten them finger tight and then back them off 1/4 turn or so, make sure when you tighten the locknuts, that it doesn't move the cone.

They are super fun. If you really get into it, build up a bendix 2sp kickback coaster or a sachs duomatic auto 2sp, those are freakin' sweet.

gt18

Coaster braked road bikes are a ton of fun. I have an old bendix laced up to a 700c wheel on an old univega. I've used it for long road rides, commuting and cyclocross without a hitch.

One guy at my LBS races cyclocross (and wins) using a CB...

If the whole recent surge in fixie popularity doesn't end sometime soon, I predict we will be seeing a lot more people using coaster brakes....fixie aesthetic + coasting = teh jam (for some people anyway).

Briareos

Wow! Great tips, you are the new "coaster-brake-hub expert".

Congratulations!

EDIT: Do you know of any other hubs that are better than the Shimano that are single-speed?

Retem

here is my wifes bike its got an old 28h suntour cb rear hub on it and the thing is sweet notice the front brake for the just incase your chain falls off or your cb fails

wroomwroomoops

When I was younger and not really serious about cycling, I liked coaster brakes. Then, I grew up a bit and started enjoying my riding way more - and realized that coaster brakes are an impediment to complete happiness. Coaster brakes impose some restrictions.

I Like Peeing

I dumpstered a 700C rear wheel with laced to an old Torpedo coaster... built really solid, but I'm still going to run the brake up front. Coasters scare me in the rain, too.

lz4005

Velosteel hubs are the top of the line coasters available new. I still don't think they'll work any better than a well maintained Shimano E type, but damn if they aren't pretty.
https://kogswell.com/siteVELOSTEEL.php

sorsha6

I just contacted Trinity yesterday and I think I'll be ordering a rear wheel from them. I can't wait! I sure did love skidding around when I was young...
Are they easy to install? I'd imagine so.

dueL_

the same can be said about a front brake on a track/fixed bike

seaneee

+ 1,000,000

Briareos

$40! Neato!

But they're 36 spoked, gonna need to buy a new rim, but thats always exciting!

Thanks for the link, I had seen it before but forgot to bookmark it.

SirMike1983 

I'm a fan of Bendix and New Departure for coaster brakes.

Retem

2spd kick back rules

shecky

The Bendix kickbacks are kind of neat, but the ones I've used are not the smoothest. They also have a fixed 18t cog-no possibility for change. There are two or three models, too. Some kick into overdrive, and some kick into low gear. They're identifiable by the color of the bands around the hub shell, blue, red, or yellow.

In practice, I find the kickback action kind of fiddly to use. I also have a Sachs kickback hub in my parts box, but haven't used it. I'd love to get a Sachs 2sp automatic, but they seem rare in the US.

I have two Velosteel hubs. They're very pretty. However, they don't really work any better than a common Shimano, and weigh about half a pound more. The ones I got were straight from the factory, and had a symbolic amount og grease inside. I don't know if they come that way from Kogswell, but it's wise to make sure before using them.

American and Mexican made Bendix models all seem fine.

I think the smoothest coaster brake hub I have is an old Fitchel & Sachs cone clutch model.

Common Shimano/Asian coaster brakes are decent and cheap. 18t sprockets seem to be the most common. Smaller than 16t seem increasingly harder to find.

SirMike1983 

The kickback is one that I've found actually takes some getting used to since it's easy to shift gears when all you really want to do is apply the brake. Once you get used to it though, they're helpful if you have the low gear model. The low gear is a mild help with small hills if you're not a total purist about single speed versus 2 speed. It's a terrain issue- I'd avoid it if you're working many hills, but in flat or semi-flat areas they're fun. You may not even need a 2 speed- you can get single speed models. Until college my main bikes were an old Higgins Middleweight and a Schwinn ballooner and both of them were single speeds with only coaster brakes. I had some fun rides on those.

shmee40

well the reason i started this thread was to get some opinions but if i can give some context. the coaster is for a SS beater for around town. wont be racing or riding down everest or anything. it just to go to the beer store, the bar, the pub, the speakeasy, the saloon, etc.

Kogswell

I like good coaster brakes and dislike bad ones.

A good coaster brake wheel can be a lot of fun. You get all of the advantages of a single-speed. And you get a couple of other things:

- a built-in brake that can be engaged without the use of a lever

- a brake that works when the rims are wet

- nearly silent operation due to the lack of a ratcheting freewheel

There are some disadvantages:

- they weigh more than a hub and freewheel

- you can't back-pedal

I've put a LOT of miles on a coaster brake bike. And I've been happy about it.

There's something relaxing about the quiet operation. You hear more on a CB bike.

I think that CBs are a legitimate member of the single-cog family (fixed, SS, IG, CB).

The coaster brake may not please everyone, but if you can find a wheel for not a lot of money, then I encourage you to give it a try.

And if you can't, then you're not missing anything.

Not spectacular. Just nice.

Random thoughts. Hope they help.

BRABUS E430

just threw my newly built coaster setup on my IRO Mark V. took a quick ride down the street. First observation is that its definitely weird to be able to coast (i've been riding fixed for at least the last 3 months). hopefully ill get to go out on a long ride tomorrow....

MACinRWC

I seriously thought I was the only person with a coaster road wheel
I love this site


I usually use the coaster brake for like city stop signs and junk-but use the front brake for hills(I get nervous just kickin back for a long descent) I get a icky feeling of it busting

the only thing I don;t like about the NYC hub brake wheel is that the rear rim has space-and crome for brake pads-which no one would put on the rear====it would be sick if they were just deep v's angled+ from the outside in--with paint

JeanCoutu

So I quickly put together a coaster brake bike the other day, man this thing is a blast! Just wish I could use the big ring, but the chainline would be maybe too far off. Also the seat is rather too low. It's running a Shimano 333, the thing overheats on the slightest semblant of a hill, a couple hundred meters of ~20% is all it takes. Then it locks up instantaneously on a hint of back pedal pressure. I'm thinking front brake isn't really optional.

TreeUnit

Just built up a bike with a coaster for a friend. I bought the exact same Deep V Wheelset from NYCBikes. The Bike has no front brake. The brake is acctually pretty quick. I can get it to lock up completely and skid.

lz4005

They do overheat on hills, but if you relube after it cools down there is usually no permanent damage.
To the hub at least.
That's why some oldschool coaster hubs had lube ports.

shecky

What does it mean to overheat? Too hot to touch? Turn blue? Smoke and fire?

JeanCoutu

I mean that it can't really be used to brake anymore, unless you feel like doing so by skidding.
It's got this reverse fading thing going on. At that point it'll sizzle spit, no smoke or discoloration though.

I'd repacked it with auto bearing grease, would synthetic grease be better? Also, the braking surfaces seemed to have a grease residue on them when I took it apart, so I put some there while putting it back together, but greasing braking surfaces just felt odd. Are they supposed to be greased?