I've decided that I'm not strong enough to go fixed-gear but still wanna have a clean sleek riding machine. My solution? Coaster brake! The below links you to one I think would be suitable:

https://www.bikepartsusa.com/product_...1&p=01%2D96544

The specs are confusing though, how do I know the size? I can't find KT's website and I have no idea what "gauge" is. The site also has a spacer kit that presumably provides spacers, so do I still need to get an axle that will fit my 130mm rear-spacing?

And, the biggie...My rear dropouts are vertical. Will a coaster brake keep tension? It has an arm on the left side that clips to the chainstay to give it something to "push" against when braking, but its only attached on the non-drive side.

Anyone have any experience? (yes I searched, nothing *specific* about coaster brakes, I got the web link above from one of the threads however)

^_^

between just getting your chain the right length and maybe a half link, chain tension shouldnt be a big deal. ive had coaster break set ups before (i used one instead of fixed for a while when i had a broken arm and didnt want to skid one handed), i foudn them to be a pretty big pain in the ass (all the blah of singlespeed, and still had to lift the seet to get the pedal in the right spot when I. id rather get a singlespeed set up, or a freecoaster for goofing off on...

right now im quite intrigued by 3speed rear hubs. but thats just me.

you will have the same issues with a chain tension with a coaster that you would fixed. You need to find a magic gear and tennsioners aren't an option.

You should just build a fixed gear or a ss with a front or two brakes respectively. Probably an ss since you can just get a simple chain tensioner to deal with the tension. Looking cool is only worth sacrificing safety if you are a trend chasing ****up. Looking cool is clearly the only reason you are doing it since a coaster rules out all the other ridiculous arguments against having a front brake.

That gauge number refers to the spoke hole diameter. If I was going to build up a whole wheel, I'd start with a name brand hub, especially since it's your brakes as well. Also, you can get parts if you need to rebuild it. Chain tension is no big deal, as 128 said. Spacing you can deal with when you pick a hub.

Lots of people on here have coaster rigs as bar bikes, they're pretty fun for that purpose. There's not any huge reason not to do it.

As for three speeds, I was really close to building up a 3 speed coaster last year, but I kept hearing bad things about the s3c hub. I'm also still trying to suss out the various arguments about efficiency, as well as gearing. I wanted it for a low-stress commuter that didn't suck in the wind (I commute on the chicago lakefront path), but I wasn't sure it wouldn't just be a goldilocks bike: one gear to short, one too tall, and only one just right.

yeah you might need a half link..get a good chain like a vertex, and there will be no problems...another solution i tried out is just a front brake but i got a front drum, and a diacomp single finger lever and drilled a hole and routed it thru the fork. it's pretty much invisible and you cans till do cool skids, trackstands,but if you gotta panic brake it's there

+1 for 3-speed hub. I haven't had any noticeable problems with the efficiency.
I would go with a non-coaster brake version though.

Wait, where did you drill the hole? BMX stuff works this way, but I'm not seeing how you could mod road stuff unless you went through a threadless stem. Stuff like this came up on the barspin thread, but then people remembered that you'd need some kind of brake with clearance as well.

Also, I don't really care what you ride or why you ride or even if you ride at all or just do trackstands all day, but I'd like to think that the main reason to ride fixed is that you like pedaling fixed.

I like bikes with one speed, regardless of whether or not they are fixed.

As far as looks go, its not some image thing really, I just have OCD. Wires that don't run in straight lines or aren't flush against the frame bother me (there is actually an internal tubing for the rear brake, on my 98 Gt Strike). I could never use two different wheels, and my drivetrain has to be a "gruppo" (going IRO to start with, not sure it's a gruppo or not, being American).

Ok I'm done proving my worth to people I'll never meet. But if I DO meet you someday, beware...I have a knife!

I was more talking to the rapgod kid, not dissing you. I wouldn't consider the IRO stuff to be a gruppo, it's nice stuff and all but it's just Taiwanese stuff with logos, not really a gruppo any more than having a dell logo on your tower, monitor, KB, and mouse makes it a matched set, other than the tower's plastic shell they're putting other logos on all that stuff. Actually, all gruppos are just taiwanese stuff with logos, but that's another conversation.

Yeah I know, just joshin'!

Hyuk hyuk!

I'd rather just buy a complete coaster wheel from NYCBikes or an LBS rather than play a guessing game over the internet with my $$$. Trade the frame for one with horizontal dropouts.

I love coaster brakes, and the coaster rear/drum front combo is the business.

The OP might run into a problem with the 130mm spacing. Most E-type coasters are 110 and the axles aren't easily switchable. Also, about the gauge: some hubs have larger than normal spoke holes requiring larger spokes. I had to use tandem spokes on my Steamcoaster.

I contacted NYCBikes about their coaster-brake wheelset, but they have yet to answer. The big problem is that from what I can see, the coaster arm has only a hole to mount to a frame that was made to use a coaster-brake with a bolt. The one I linked above has a pretty little thing that wraps and holds the arm on the chainstay. I tried asking them how I would attach it to a regular bike, but as I said earlier, I got bubkiss.

I'll E-Mail them again.

Use some tube clamp, a piece of weatherstripping, or whatever. It isn't rocket science.

coaster brakes are the jam... if you have to money and time see if you can find one of those two speed (yellow stripe) kickback coaster brake hubs.... its way sweet. you kick back a little to go into higher or lower gear and then kick back all the way to slow down.... such a sweet design

It's hard to find those, I've read about them. They are most prominent in the bicycles used for the "little 500" in Indiana's raceway every year. I keep an eye out for the hubs on Ebay, but a lot of them are old and I'd hate to use one but trash it the first time it malfunctions. The ones I speak of (and probably you too) are the "Bendix" rear hubs. I would definately buy one If I had the chance though, just to try it. I keep changing my mind about what sort of wheels I want to use, and it's driving me nuts. The Bendix hubs were my obsession a few weeks ago, when they seemed to be plentiful. I guess I could go to the next Little 500 and buy one off someone!

Briareos-

Sorry we didn't get back to you in a timely fashion. That hole attaches to a simple clamp that wraps around the stay, very few bikes actually have a place on the frame to connect it to. We use shimano, kt, or hi-stop hubs. All appear nearly identical in design and performance.

I WOULD NOT use one of these hubs, from any manufacturer, new or old stock without a front brake. They are likely to burn out at high speeds with the momentum of an adult.

I recall reading one members long and very informative discourse on coaster brake hubs from a while back. Maybe he could repost (or send it to me and I'll put up a page on our site to link to). Ireally enjoyed reading it, and it answered a lot of questions I had.

Oh, and we also have CB wheels in colored 30mm deep V section rims (DP-18's) coming in soon. Keep an eye out if your interested.

someone on here has a coaster brake surly; I dig coaster brakes, but they're harder to use than hand brakes of any kind.

Here are the specs for Sturmey Archer's SS coaster:

https://www.sturmey-archer.com/hubs_oh_CBS11.php

nyc bikes has a 700c coaster wheel for 70 bones get it

get an animal bike bmx half link chain they are about 50 bones and use that

hah this is my wifes bike revisited

K. Dumb question. So I'm pretty much doing the same for my wife's bike. SS w/ rear coaster. Why would you need a half link chain. Wouldn't you be able to adjust the tension within the dropout, or am I just missing something?

op has vert dropouts my wifes's is an old japanese mixte it is rad I will post pics sometime


cherry mist miss

I can't really agree with that concern because me and one of my buddies have both ridden the snot out of 8sp nexus coasters and 3sp sturmey archer caoster and I tip the scale at about 215 but I wouldn't recommend riding super fast I do see the risk of burned shoes but I geared my wifes so low it wold be very hard for here to acheive more than 20 - 25mph and she weighs about 120 # so ya know you take risk