# Coaster brakes - are they bobbinous?



## Andrew_Culture (31 Mar 2014)

Does anyone use Coaster / back-pedal brakes on their singlespeed? The lack of a rear brake cable sort of appeals to me but I'm not convinced a coaster brake would actually stop me?


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## MossCommuter (31 Mar 2014)

The front brake is the one that stops you


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## MontyVeda (31 Mar 2014)

MossCommuter said:


> The front brake is the one that stops you


sometimes a bit too effectively


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## Andrew_Culture (31 Mar 2014)

MontyVeda said:


> sometimes a bit too effectively



I went over the handlebars while cycling through London at the weekend and some lady in a car which was in a different lane and about two hundred yards back at the time took the trouble to slow down and demand an apology from me. I was a bit non-plussed so gave her a thumbs up and got a middle finger in return. Still not sure what that was about, I had the decency to stick to my own lane when landing.


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## fossyant (31 Mar 2014)

I need three brakes to stop me on my fixed, two brakes and the legs sometimes.


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## mickle (31 Mar 2014)

Most of my bikes have coaster brakes. 2 single speeds and one with a three speed Torpedo. I bloody loves em. SRAM promised to make a coaster version of their i9, I don't know if it ever materialised.

I've even managed to find a type of coaster brake mechanism which lives near the left crank and can be used with derailleur gears. Shame it's £500 ...

The two single speeds have no second brake. I don't have any trouble stopping, but then I don't tend to ride very fast - and well within the distance I know to be clear!


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## tyred (1 Apr 2014)

I've got two - a pre-war Humber with an Eadie coaster hub and a c1970 Batavus with a Sachs Torpedo. Both do exactly what it says on the tin and stop the bike. They are perfectly adequate as a rear brake but keep the front too. It does take a few miles always to be comfortable with it if I haven't used it in a while, You need to consider your foot position when freewheeling and when coming to a complete stop in a way you wouldn't have to on a normal freewheel bike.

When you get used to it, you will get on a normal bike and come flying up to a junction, back-pedal and wonder why you aren't slowing down....


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## Andrew_Culture (1 Apr 2014)

tyred said:


> When you get used to it, you will get on a normal bike and come flying up to a junction, back-pedal and wonder why you aren't slowing down....



That's one of my big concerns!


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## Andrew_Culture (1 Apr 2014)

I've decided that I need two hoods to put my hands on so they might as well both be brakes!


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## Sheffield_Tiger (1 Apr 2014)

Not on a FW/SS but on my Pub/Winter bike I have a Nexus 3 speed with coaster and it's especially good on one particular descent

And I don't get used to that and try to backpedal on any of my other bikes


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## Andrew_Culture (1 Apr 2014)

[QUOTE 3006564, member: 45"]Why not chop and turn some drop bars?[/QUOTE]

Cos they look silly


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## Old Plodder (14 Apr 2014)

Coaster brakes can be a nuisance if you normally remove the rear wheel to fix punctures as they have a torque arm that attaches to the frame, plus they add weight & can be difficult to fit new brake shoes.


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## Andrew_Culture (15 Apr 2014)

Old Plodder said:


> Coaster brakes can be a nuisance if you normally remove the rear wheel to fix punctures as they have a torque arm that attaches to the frame, plus they add weight & can be difficult to fit new brake shoes.



I wondered what that arm was for!


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## Pennine-Paul (27 Nov 2015)

Bit of a thread resurrection! I've been using a coaster wheel instead of a fixed gear for about 6 months now,
I've used it in all weathers and I've had no issues with it at all,It is heavier than my fixed gear wheel but you can't tell once you're
moving,freewheeling downhill is eerily quiet with no freewheel click,click,click 
It doesn't feel that much different from riding fixed,I can't feel the dead spot you get from riding with a freewheel either,not sure why???

Braking is fine,I tend to use the coaster brake for slowing down, then the front brake for coming to a halt,just like riding fixed really.
Had a couple of punctures and having to loosen off the torque arm isn't that much of an issue,Can't see me going back to fixed if it gets through the
coming winter without problems,it's much more practical,not least because you don't need to be riding with spd's ,just a pair of trainers will suffice
no more clip clopping round town now in my spd shoes


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## zigzag (28 Nov 2015)

i like coaster brakes for their simplicity and consistent (albeit average) performance in any weather. one thing to keep in mind that they are have some drag due to the spring rubbing inside the clutch and may start to squeal if it's low on grease (clutch turns with the wheel while the spring sits still). you can see this in the photo with the rusty old grease and how the edge of the spring coil is ground flat. it becomes better when it's run in.


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## Pennine-Paul (28 Nov 2015)

zigzag said:


> i like coaster brakes for their simplicity and consistent (albeit average) performance in any weather. one thing to keep in mind that they are have some drag due to the spring rubbing inside the clutch and may start to squeal if it's low on grease (clutch turns with the wheel while the spring sits still). you can see this in the photo with the rusty old grease and how the edge of the spring coil is ground flat. it becomes better when it's run in.



I have to say it did clunk and clank a bit the first hundred miles or so,then it quietened right off,not that you could feel anything dragging,
it occasionally has a bit of a rattle, but if you apply the rear brake briefly, it stops (I'm guessing the brake shoe is causing the noise)


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## Jack Velo (17 Dec 2015)

Pennine-Paul said:


> I have to say it did clunk and clank a bit the first hundred miles or so,then it quietened right off,not that you could feel anything dragging,
> it occasionally has a bit of a rattle, but if you apply the rear brake briefly, it stops (I'm guessing the brake shoe is causing the noise)


Love the coaster brake on my SS. First time I've ever used one in a cycling career spanning 50+ years!


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## Jack Velo (17 Dec 2015)

Love my SS with coater brake. Its a Trek 200S. Not the most expensive bike I the world but it will do for me!


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## Dan B (17 Dec 2015)

Coaster brake on the Christiania trike, seems to work well to control speed on downhills on the rare occasion I remember it's there. The front brakes to tend to make the trike weave from side to side when applied at speed, which is quite disconcerting for the rider and probably even more so for the kids in the box


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