unbrokenchain

i have an older raleigh frame/fork that's been sitting around for a while, new BB and threadless headset, right now it just sits with the fork and stem attached and a new coat of paint (the original was completely gone). i already have two functional vg road bikes, so i was thinking of going SS with this one. i like riding fixed gear but i think it would have pretty limited use here in the mtns... think maybe a coaster brake would be a better suit? id like to have as few cables and things as possible.

MajorMantra

AFAIK coaster brakes are not at all suited to real hills as they will overheat and fail or fade. If you don't want to spin on descents, go SS with conventional brakes.

powers2b

Or find a coaster brake with an intercooler.

Enjoy

TheBikeRollsOn 

or get some gears.

elemental

I think a coaster brake would be fine if it's paired with a front brake. It would a fun change of pace as well.

Retro Grouch 

In the early days of mountain biking - actually before mountain bikes were invented - there was a trail near San Francisco the locals called "repack". They would drive their Schwinn based clunkers up the mountain in a pickup truck and ride down. The name "repack" was derrived from the need to repack the rear coaster hub's bearings with grease after every run. Heat from constant coaster brake use would cook it out.

bbattle

True. Coaster brake hubs are inefficient and not so great at braking. Failure of the hub while going down a mountain would not be nice. See the little washers in the middle?


They tend to get their "teeth" worn down and then you got no brakes.

Here's another one:


Bike had virtually no braking at all because this piece broke and could move around enough to not engage properly.

Both of these coaster hubs were taken off children's bikes. Somebody weighing a hundred more pounds would wear one of these out in a hurry.

Go SS with brakes. Front and rear if you are serious about climbing(and descending).

Leukybear 

Shimano's newer nexus coaster brake hubs are longer lasting and more tolerant of heat; being properly maintained of course....

I have the 3 speed version laced to a veep (it was given to me for free by a friend who finally went fixed) and living in a mountainous area, it proved to lose only a minuscule amount of stopping power with use although it would be hot to the touch. It's aluminum body and specialized lubrication (yes you have to buy its lube from shimano who has it specially for the nexus series; and you have use it every hundred miles) definitely helps.

lz4005

I'm about as big an advocate of the coaster brake as you'll find, but they just aren't suited to long downhills, for the reasons mentioned above.

That being said, if you used a front disc brake for the majority of your downhill braking you'd probably be fine.

shecky

The key to successful coaster brake use in hilly areas is judicious use of front brake.

I once conducted an experiment. I coasted down a mountain road (Mandeville Canyon Rd. West L.A.) for a distance of about 3.5 miles, using the coaster brake only to keep my 225lb + bike speed down. The brake shell did get friggin hot. The brake did not a) fail b) cook out the grease c) turn blue. The hub was a generic Shimano type coaster brake, a KT IIRC. Perhaps it would have failed had a longer, steeper descent, braked harder, etc. But it was reassuring to know how far I can push the hub.