Coaster brakes and safety

Advertise with us
Shop deals on ebay
BOXKARS
Rat Rod Bikes Bicycle Forum

Help Support Rat Rod Bikes Bicycle Forum:

This site may earn a commission from merchant affiliate links, including eBay, Amazon, and others.
kentercanyon

kentercanyon

Joined
Mar 25, 2013
Messages
164
Reaction score
24
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
What's the consensus opinion on vintage coaster brakes vs say, the current shimano designs?

I'm building up a prewar ladies bike for a friend and the issue of safety has been raised : while I'd put a bendix RB2 circa 1963 on it if it were for myself - given what I've got on hand- my brother tells me i'd be foolish not to err on the side that favors modern design and materials and use a shimano cb-110. My nationalistic tendencies are skewing my judgement... This bike was ridden in the months after Pearl Harbor... Opinions?
 
Considering this bike came with a Morrow... I am in agreement with you pal but want to hear other opinions.

Let us assume the shimano had the advantage of better design.... How much better could it be? Most coaster failures are actually from a broken chain.
 
Real talk: If the vintage hub on the bike is a worn-out turd, you'd know it. If you haven't already, consider a complete tear-down and rebuild--- and as you do so, note the condition of the innards. If it's knackered, replace it with whatever replacement you (or yer ladyfriend) prefers--in good condition. If it's in good condition, go ahead and use it.

As you stated, most CB braking failures are caused by a broken chain. My experience is that braking performance that's related to the hub itself tends to deteriorate gradually, and can be slowed down by routine proper maintenance. (Although I've seen some modern KTs give up quickly & without warning.) I'd run the vintage hub, and ask your friend to have you take a peak at it a few times a year, for safety.

Also, I'd feel remiss if I didn't mention that the cb-e110 was a danged good hub, and probably the best current-production CB hub I've tried....

(For the record, true safety nannies will tell you that you'll want to run a front brake with any CB set-up... I have CB-only bikes that I use for JRA in the 'hood, but the ones I use more frequently for longer rides have front drums, too....)
 
Never could figure out why there even was a front brake on the Swingbike, or the front brake lever was on the right side like a motorcycle......but then again the safety nannies probably would rather my Swingbike was shredded to make wheelchair spokes from or something.

I always felt the old coaster brake hubs were pretty bombproof, especially after seeing the abuse we'd put them through as kids. Of course if the bolt came out of the brake arm to frame clamp you were in big trouble.
 
Last edited:
A properly maintained old hub is just as prone to failure as a new one. Chain condition and alignment are more important in my mind. If there is a real concern for failure (hub or chain) then another brake is needed.

I mess with a LOT of kids bikes, the coaster brake bikes have a front handbrake 99% of the time, I'm surprised they aren't putting a handbrake on Huffy Cranbrooks and the like nowadays.
 
Yooth, they probably do, in some states.... Depends on laws pertaining to brand new bikes. apparently, a couple of states have made an auxiliary front brake a requirement on CB-equipped bikes.
 
My doubts are that anything "Jap" is inferior. That's how much of an old man I am.

But lets be brutally honest here - as much as any of us may have a fondness for the bendix because of our stingrays - this company ran itself Into the ground and moved production to Mexico a full decade before other bicycle brands went overseas or outsourced labor...
 
kentercanyon said:
...Let us assume the shimano had the advantage of better design.... How much better could it be? ...
Click to expand...

The Shimano has the advantage of being a SHAMELESS COPY of a Bendix...

Vintage coaster brake hubs never "fail" in the sense of brakes suddenly stop working... never.

So, ride vintage. :)
 
dougfisk said:
The Shimano has the advantage of being a SHAMELESS COPY of a Bendix...
Click to expand...

Yeah, but, thank GOODNESS for that. It's Thanksgiving, tonight, and I wanna thank Shimano for shamelessly knocking-off the ol' Bendix design, and giving us the only truly reliable current-production SS coaster brake hub.
 
Bicycle808 said:
Yeah, but, thank GOODNESS for that. It's Thanksgiving, tonight, and I wanna thank Shimano for shamelessly knocking-off the ol' Bendix design, and giving us the only truly reliable current-production SS coaster brake hub.
Click to expand...

It works, and all the current Chinese coaster hubs are copies of the Shimano... LOL :grin:o_O:rolleyes:

Ride Vintage! :)
 
Last edited:
If the forks support a front handbrake, add one. A new chain will allievate the risk of a broken chain which always causes a fail of the coaster brake. Also, a good way to help increase braking is to pull up on the opposite pedal while pushing down on the other. In an emergency, a foot inserted between the rear tire and chain stays will lock up the rear wheel, but with shoes on of course.
 
I'd put a rebuilt Bendix RB2 up against any coaster hub in the world...new or old. I wouldn't come out second best either. New doesn't mean better *or* more reliable. Gary
 

Latest posts

Back
Top