Originally Posted by
PaulH
The weight transfer on deceleration means that the front wheel will always be able to provide more stopping power than the front. Any coaster brake will be able to lock the rear wheel, which means that it has more than enough performance. For urban riding, you really want a front brake as well. A coaster won't soil your trousers with black dust or require frequent pad replacement. No cable to adjust or freeze up in winter. The drawback is that you can't position the pedal by rotating it backwards.
Couldn't agree more -- if the power output of the coaster isn't substantially diminished, it seems quite adequate to me. And I ride fixed much of the time, so hopefully I won't miss coasting too much. Of course, that might change with enough of a load.
Originally Posted by
PaulH
Drum brakes require more force than rim brakes. However, rim brakes require too much maintenance and have problems in ice and snow. I decided that rim brakes were unacceptable, drums acceptable, and disks best.
Have you had luck with a drum brake? If so, which brand? I'm curious whether any are decent enough to serve up front.
Thanks!