Single speed conversion to coaster brake
 

Single speed conversion to Coaster Brake

A friend has a road bike he converted to coaster brake.
I am interested in doing the same with my 2009 Fuji touring bike converted to a single speed.
I would like to make it have a coaster brake.

I looked at this:


Shimano Coaster Brake/Alex DC19 Rear Wheel


Coaster Brake Series Rear Wheel
Wheel Size: 700c
Rim: Alex DC19
Rim Color: Black
Hub/Brake Compatibility: Coaster
Tire Type: Clincher
Cassette Body Type: Single Cog Driver
Rear Hub Spacing: 124 mm
Rear Axle Type: 3/8" bolt on
Skewer Included: N/A
Hub Drilling: 36
Spoke Info: DT Swiss Industry
Spoke Color: Silver
ISO Diameter: 622 / road / 29"
Rim Material: Alloy
Valve: Presta
Valve Length: Short 32-40mm
Rear Wheel Type: Single-Speed
Weight: 1,180.0 g

but the rear hub spacing is 124 and I believe my Fuji is 130mm.


Any other options?
Can I jury rig this wheel and hub?

Thanks,
Alan

Yes, you can space it out. 3mm on either side.

I had a coaster brake wheel on a single speed. Was terrible. Looked great since there was no rear brake line and I could remove the front brake as well. Worked terribly and I ended up selling it. If you want any kind of legit stopping power, you will avoid this setup.

sturmey archer S1C is promoted as 'the coaster brake hub for adults' ..

Sturmey Archer | S1C Silver

The Quality of current S-A products is good. note the spec PDF in above link.

NB: 119_120 is common track and old 5 speed freewheel bike rear frame width Spec.

Why not just build a new wheel and not Jury rig. ?



I presume if you are already able to figure it out, the post would not have been made , and you would have done It.

Since people in the C&V forum are always telling people it's ok to jam a bigger OLD into a steel frame, why not a smaller one?

Since the rear hub spacing is not the same I was told by the online company that it wouldn't work. though I have been commuting 25+ years by bike I know very little about bike mechanical issues

You can jam in a bigger OLD and it's ok, but that doesn't mean its easy to do so. The frame fights you every time. Eventually I gave up and got the correct OLD. The frame was sooo happy and so was I. With a smaller OLD, when you tighten the axle nuts you will think the wheel is snug in the dropout but it won't be! A quick release type of clamp may not care and you might get used to having to use more force than usual to get things properly tight, but axle nuts, I don't know. But all that aside... coaster brakes are usually the only brake on bikes so equipped. For the usual application: juvenile, special needs, utility, etc. having just a rear brake is not seen as a huge liability. With higher speeds and use on public roads... I don't know.

I would sooner use no rear brake at all, and leave all the stopping to a front brake of any technology than deal with the hassle of a combination front brake and coaster brake. A front brake only setup works very, very well, and I have unintentionally used this configuration a few times when a rear brake was out of service and I was too lazy to fix it right away. I miss the rear brake when maneuvering at low speed and I want to do something with my left hand like activate the garage door opener or signal a left turn or something while keeping control of speed at the same time. But for pure deceleration, there is not an absolute need for a rear brake, and coasters are usually heavy, hard to modulate and of relatively poor quality because of their presumed application and market.

^ I rode my steel single speed with just the rear coaster brake on it. SKETCH!!!!!! Definitely not a good setup.

what does "OLD" stand for?

over-locknut-dimension, the width of the hub from nut to nut, that sits inside the frame spacing. Good figure at this link Sheldon Brown's Bicycle Glossary N - O

Convert it to fixed gear and put a brake on the front.

seems like lots of nay sayers on coaster brakes... get a good brand shimano or sturmy archer! and youre welcome. I know its a old post but ive been trying to see if there are any new coaster styles or brands.

since finding the sturmy ive been satisfied but it does make the tire and rear a bit heavy. that would be my only complaint but... then again my bike is already heavy so its not a issue.

What I can tell you is if the hill is big enough you can get some serious smoke out of a coaster hub (plus a lot of melted grease) Especially if the hub is in a 12 1/2" wheel on a bike being ridden by somebody 200lbs+ at high velocities.

Yesterday I burned up the 2nd CB on my Vilano Urbana(folding 20"). I'm 6ft 250lb. I just did a half mile hilly loop around the block. I have a KT HiStop prepped to go and installing a front rim brake that I had laying around.

I've been commuting with a CB for a long time. Single speed during the summer, and this winter I finally got a Sturmey S3C working.

When I first moved to town, I lived at the top of a very tall hill, and my CB would fade by the time I got to the busy intersection at the bottom. You can't change the laws of physics. The energy gained from the descent has to go somewhere. This has been discussed at length with respect to other types of brakes. I basically had to ration my brake by descending more slowly, thus letting the heat dissipate over a longer period of time. Also, pulsing the brake probably lets the grease circulate a bit during a long descent.

This will either be a minor inconvenience, or too annoying to tolerate.

I also had a couple of close calls that convinced me I need a front hand brake. Then you can also distribute the braking load between front and back. I love the simplicity and aesthetics of just a CB, but for commuting, one has to consider utility and safety.