There are more reasons to select a freewheeling bike with hand brakes than there are reasons to select a coaster brake bike. Close menu. Log in Create account. Freewheel Hub : allows the pedals to be rotated backwards, just like mom and dad's "speed bikes" There are more reasons to select a freewheeling bike with hand brakes than there are reasons to select a coaster brake bike.
Coaster Brakes info: Coaster brakes take some getting used to, just as hand brakes do. It does not come naturally. A child that is not attentive to their need to brake could be caught off guard and fail to stop. The pedals cannot be rotated in reverse while stopped, to get them oriented for a successful start.
Loosen and remove locknut. It will be useful to lay part out in orientation as they come off axle and out of hub. Remove cone and turn driver counter-clockwise to remove it from the shell. Lift off wheel from axle assembly. Use care, as the brake shoe or other parts may fall out.
Turn axle assemble over in the vise. Hold the brake arm as a lever, and use a wrench on the left side nut. Loosen locknut, and all parts from the axle. Remove spring from inside clutch for better cleaning. Always rotate spring with direction of spring wrap. In this case, turn spring clockwise while pulling and twisting outward.
Remove any parts from inside hub shell. Grease spring, place washer inside clutch, and turn spring into place. Turn with spring wrap direction clockwise. Grease axle threads of axle.
Install left side cone on axle. Pack grease inside cage of bearings. Install bearings on cone. Ball bearings face cone surface. Hold axle in vise and install dust cap, brake arm, any washers, and locknut. There is no part of a coaster brake that can be harmed by grease, so be generous in applying it.
You should use a grease with tolerance for high temperatures, such as automotive brake grease, but even so, coaster brakes used in mountainous terrain can "cook" any common grease. An internal-gear hub with a coaster brake may need more than one type of lubricant. Follow manufacturer's recommendations. The left cone is attached to the reaction arm the arm that runs below the left chainstay, and is secured to the chainstay by a clamp of some sort. If you loosen both axle nuts, and stick a cone wrench onto the right side cone, or its locknut, you can turn the whole axle.
Since the left cone is immobilized by the reaction arm, turning the axle will adjust the cone. If you get it too tight, the wheel will tend to bind up. Too loose, and the wheel will shake from side to side, and the brake will require a lot of pedal movement to engage.
To adjust the cones on an English coaster hub, you leave it in the bike, but loosen both axle nuts. Use an adjustable wrench to turn the whole axle, screwing it in or out of the left cone, then re-tighten the axle nuts once the cone adjustment is correct. Coaster-brake hubs use a single sprocket and single chainwheel. The chain is held in place by moving the hub's axle forward or backward in the dropout slots until the chain is just barely slack; or a bicycle with vertical dropouts may have an eccentric bottom bracket..
As the chain wears, it lengthens, and it is more likely to fall off. It must be readjusted periodically. A coaster-brake hub cannot use a chain tensioner with a pulley. Detailed instructions about chain adjustment are on our page about derailerless drivetrains. Most newer single-speed coaster brakes use the same 3-splined sprockets as are used on internal-gear hubs. Such sprockets are available in sizes from teeth. Changing the sprocket to customize the gearing is often very worthwhile.
These sprockets are held on by a snap ring, which you can pry off with a small flat-blade screwdriver. When you replace the sprocket, it is a good idea to use a hammer and punch to seat the snap ring into its groove so that the sprocket can't accidentally pop off, leaving the brake inoperative! Sprockets available here. Older coaster brakes used threaded sprockets and lock rings, as with track hubs.
Although they are the same in theory, they commonly used different threading, so they are not usually interchangeable with track sprockets. Threaded sprockets for coaster brakes commonly had a radial slot, to make it possible to replace a broken spoke without removing the sprocket.
Note that with a coaster brake, the gear ratio affects both the forward pedaling and the brake operation! However, a larger sprocket will limit your top speed, and will also require moving the pedals farther backward to cause the brake to engage. However, a smaller sprocket will make hill climbing more difficult, and will also require pushing harder on the pedals to get powerful braking.
Note that sometimes these are "private labeled" or there might be "knockoffs" so you might find an unlisted model that is identical to the ones shown. Due to their ability to heat up quickly , coaster brakes are not recommended for any type of technical riding, riding at fast speeds, or around hills.
If your bike happens to have coaster brakes, just make sure to ride at a much slower pace than usual when using a trailer or a bike seat. With the extra weight of a child seat or a trailer, this jolt can be more pronounced and quite unexpected for the adult rider. In extreme cases, this jolt can cause the rider to lose their balance and potentially fall over. As a result, be sure to stick to slower speeds and avoid hilly areas!
This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed. Skip to content Coaster brakes, also known as back-pedal brakes or foot brakes, are the standard brake system found on most kids bikes. Why are coaster brakes a problem on kids bikes? Why do some bikes have coaster brakes and others have hand brakes? Which kids bikes do not have coaster brakes? How does a coaster brake work? How do you remove a coaster brake on a bike?
How do you install a freewheel kit? Are coaster brakes problematic on adult bikes? About The Author. Natalie Martins Natalie has basically been obsessed with kids' bikes since when her oldest of three kids began riding a balance bike.
After trying to convince everyone she knew about how amazing balance bikes are, she began Two Wheeling Tots. As a certified secondary science teacher, she loves digging deep into the why and how of kids biking. With her in-depth knowledge of the kids' bike world, she has consulted with many top brands as well as contributed to articles at NY Strategist, the Today Show, and more. Notify of. Inline Feedbacks. Load More Comments.
0コメント