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How bicycle coaster brakes work (2018)

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Re: How bicycle coaster brakes work (2018)

#61

Post by kqr »

perrygeo wrote: post #25
Hobadee wrote: post #15

Where is all this love for coaster brakes coming from?! They are, IMHO, one of the worst brakes ever. They have caused me numerous spills and scraped knees (due to the rear wheel locking up and skidding out from under me) and have done the same to my kids. There is virtually no control over them, and they don't allow you to shift your weight around when standing on the pedals to go around sharp corners or off-road. (…

> Where is all this love for coaster brakes coming from?! Childhood nostalgia? They are indeed terrible brakes from a riding perspective. But a) no cables or pads to mess up, b) beginner friendly and c) skidding. Great for kids riding around the neighborhood, the only real purpose.

I doubt they're actually that beginner friendly. My children switch between coaster brakes and hand-actuated rim brakes regularly (different sets of bikes in different locations) and they have preferred hand-actuated rim brakes since they started cycling.

They like it when the bike doesn't suddenly stop when they accidentally pedal a little backwards, something that happened particularly frequently when they were beginners.

They also like being able to prepare for the stop by taking their feet off the pedals and hovering them over the ground while they brake.

Re: How bicycle coaster brakes work (2018)

#62

Post by kqr »

deepsun wrote: post #14

> The coaster brake also can be prone to locking up the wheels and causing the tire to skid. For kids this is an advantage, since they enjoy putting bikes into a sideways skid. Damn well it was! I remember we used to play tag on bikes. But when we switched to hand brakes, it became impossible, as you need a free hand and speed control at the same time.

> But when we switched to hand brakes, it became impossible, as you need a free hand and speed control at the same

Did y'all have only one hand?

Re: How bicycle coaster brakes work (2018)

#63

Post by kqr »

> Many of the front brakes installed on less expensive bicycles are worthless and give riders a false sense of security.

You should test the brakes before every ride! The front brake should make it very, very hard to push the bike forward. (The back brake should lock the wheel but the bike will continue to move forward.) That way, you can quickly tell whether they are worthless or provide true security.

Re: How bicycle coaster brakes work (2018)

#64

Post by david-gpu »

lstodd wrote: post #60
fransje26 wrote: post #51

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> Once you overlook a section of black ice, not even the nicest hydraulic disc brakes will be gentle enough. My experience with black ice and bikes, is to unexpectedly fall flat on my face because the front wheel loses all grip. Without even getting to the point of trying to brake..

That's a lowside. Turn very gently if weather invites ice (or wet autumn leaves which are about as creepy as ice), never use front brakes. Locking and then suddenly reacquiring grip on the rear wheel causes highsides on motorbikes, it's when you fly out of the seat and into the oncoming 18-wheeler. But it's quite hard to do on bicycles. Fronts are useful when you have to decelerate rapidly while travelling in straigh…

Braking while turning is a risky business indeed. You typically want to use both brakes at once to reduce the chance of skidding, but if you do lose grip on either wheel nonetheless, you better have quick reflexes and release both brakes.

Sheldon Brown talked about this [0]:

> Skilled cyclists use the front brake alone probably 95% of the time, but there are instances when the rear brake is preferred: slippery surfaces, bumpy surfaces, front flat, broken [front brake]

> When leaning in a turn, traction is shared between braking and turning. Using both brakes together reduces the likelihood that one wheel or the other will skid and dump you. The steeper you lean, the less you can brake, so moderate your speed before a curve. When you are leaning deeply, you need to release the brakes entirely.

> Using both brakes together can cause "fishtailing." If the rear wheel skids while braking force is also being applied to the front, the rear of the bike will tend to swing past the front, since the front is applying a greater decelerating force than the rear. Once the rear tire starts to skid, it can move sideways as easily as forward.

I broke some ribs a couple of years ago on a downhill trail due to fishtailing. I should have dismounted, but I had not realized that the surface had turned from gritty to muddy.

[0] https://sheldonbrown.com/brakturn.html

Re: How bicycle coaster brakes work (2018)

#65

Post by giglamesh »

perrygeo wrote: post #25
Hobadee wrote: post #15

Where is all this love for coaster brakes coming from?! They are, IMHO, one of the worst brakes ever. They have caused me numerous spills and scraped knees (due to the rear wheel locking up and skidding out from under me) and have done the same to my kids. There is virtually no control over them, and they don't allow you to shift your weight around when standing on the pedals to go around sharp corners or off-road. (…

> Where is all this love for coaster brakes coming from?! Childhood nostalgia? They are indeed terrible brakes from a riding perspective. But a) no cables or pads to mess up, b) beginner friendly and c) skidding. Great for kids riding around the neighborhood, the only real purpose.

They can also serve an aesthetic purpose. For many years my daily rider was fixed, so no need for a rear brake. I got tired of riding fixed but also wanted to maintain the clean look of less cables and other visual clutter that comes with a brake - so a coaster seemed like a good enough option. I use my front (rim) break as my stopper and the coaster is just kind of a back-up or bad weather brake and for that purpose its worked great.

I'd love a disc up front, but as far as I know, the fork on a circa-1989 bike isn’t compatible with a front disc brake setup, making the upgrade challenging without welding.

Re: How bicycle coaster brakes work (2018)

#67

Post by pmontra »

The worst brakes I ever used. They were on a rental bike in a relatively remote area so it could be a matter of maintenance but I remember braking on a 10% slope to lose no more than 50 m of height. I had to lock both my thighs with the same strength I would have used to climb that hill. That vs flexing my fingers with the smallest muscles I have.

Re: How bicycle coaster brakes work (2018)

#68

Post by usrnm »

kqr wrote: post #62
deepsun wrote: post #14

> The coaster brake also can be prone to locking up the wheels and causing the tire to skid. For kids this is an advantage, since they enjoy putting bikes into a sideways skid. Damn well it was! I remember we used to play tag on bikes. But when we switched to hand brakes, it became impossible, as you need a free hand and speed control at the same time.

> But when we switched to hand brakes, it became impossible, as you need a free hand and speed control at the same Did y'all have only one hand?

Breaking with just the front wheel break is a very bad idea, so you always need the rear wheel hand to break

Re: How bicycle coaster brakes work (2018)

#70

Post by [deleted] »

david-gpu wrote: post #64
lstodd wrote: post #60

Earlier quoted context omitted.

That's a lowside. Turn very gently if weather invites ice (or wet autumn leaves which are about as creepy as ice), never use front brakes. Locking and then suddenly reacquiring grip on the rear wheel causes highsides on motorbikes, it's when you fly out of the seat and into the oncoming 18-wheeler. But it's quite hard to do on bicycles. Fronts are useful when you have to decelerate rapidly while travelling in straigh…

Braking while turning is a risky business indeed. You typically want to use both brakes at once to reduce the chance of skidding, but if you do lose grip on either wheel nonetheless, you better have quick reflexes and release both brakes. Sheldon Brown talked about this [0]: > Skilled cyclists use the front brake alone probably 95% of the time, but there are instances when the rear brake is preferred: slippery surfac…

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