Brake pads?

[Elwoodwins77]

I've only had coaster brakes fail during heavy acceleration (ie. pedaling) not during braking, as I can pedal way harder than I need to input for braking.

I learned the hard way that if for any reason there isn't enough grease packed in the pads (which naturally wants to sling out at high speeds if not sealed properly~this was my issue) that any attempt to brake will result in forward pedal spin and fast, lol. This is what almost got me but I was able to get my leg out of the way, mostly...btw I don't ride it like a maniac but I have a lot of wide open spaces in my town and I think it's on these longer runs where I was slinging my grease out. I turned my coaster brake into a free coaster, sealed the hub with a giant flat washer, and am going to thread grease nipples just to keep the bearings extra happy. I'm sure there are plenty of peeps out there who would swear by coasters but after experiencing 2 separate failures, for me the juice just ain't worth the squeeze.

 

[Timbone]

I'd much prefer disk brakes but I must add that I do think V-Brakes are more than adequate for stopping a motorbike. It works very well for mine, with top cruising speed of about 30 mph. I also use engine resistance as much as possible. once off the throttle, speed starts to slip pretty quickly.

As far as pads WallyWorld is your friend. They sell good V-Brakes pads off the shelf at about $5 for 4 individual pads. If you can't find them on a junk bike WallyWorld is the place to go.

As far as WallyWorld goes, you can pick up cheap pedals from there, too, with adapters for 1"2" (one piece) or 9/16" for most other low end bikes. $9 max.

And you can get two 96" link chains for less than $14 bucks. That will give you two master links.

I've had great success with WallyWorld tires enforced with Kevlar and with the cheap slime tubes. Flats are no issue for me anymore. Tires sell for about $20. Flat resistant tubes, less than $10.

 

[bakaneko]

I'd much prefer disk brakes but I must add that I do think V-Brakes are more than adequate for stopping a motorbike. It works very well for mine, with top cruising speed of about 30 mph. I also use engine resistance as much as possible. once off the throttle, speed starts to slip pretty quickly.

I agree. Disc brakes are best but V-brakes are sufficient as well. I like to use engine resistance and let it slow down then pull in the clutch and hit the front brake. I guess if you are on a budget ideal you can replace the front V brake with disc brake as that gives you the primary braking power and leave the rear brake as a V brake.

On another note, the pedal bolt fell off today. hahaha... LOL

 

[Timbone]

Yes, the front brake does about 70% of the stopping, so a disk brake up front would be the wise move.

 

[KCvale]

For your own safety, do not ride a motorised bicycle with rim brakes, and do not ride a motorised bicycle without the largest front disk rotor you can get your hands on - end of story.

Using rim brakes is simply suicidal...

Well, I wouldn't go that far, that's a strong warning.
NO motorized bike is safe without 2 Brakes, Period, is good advice that should really be taken seriously, yelling Rim Brakes will Kill You is a bit beyond really silly safety advice.

If that were true every Tour de France bicycle would have a disc as 50mph is not uncommon for them and you NEVER see a disc brake, they are ALL rim brakes.

Ya, sure, they are lighter so easier to stop, but using words like Never and Suicidal should really not be used as a baseline acceptable brake system.

For a light little 2-stroke direct drive like most here build, a rear coaster brake and front C-brake is bare minimum (hence 2 brakes), but as you add weight or speed you to need proportionally add more braking power.

Just adding a rear C-brake with a Coaster brake helps, the back pedal coaster brake becomes just an emergency brake, unless of course you are on the heavy 'high center of gravity' side like this gal...

I have been dying to use that image.
Yes she is local pole dancer on a bike I built her.
Yes there are more pics, just none I can share ;-}

Anyway, sure disc brakes are the best and I love them, but pair of V-brakes work just great, it's all about how fast YOUR machine with you and your load on it, from a given speed, can stop.

Shoot for ~10' stopping distance at YOUR bikes Top speed on level ground.
That may not be enough for an emergency complete stop, but it will sure slow your momentum down enough to let you walk away a bit wiser as to your bikes brake needs I think.

I did ;-}

 

[Timbone]

Just so you know, after years of controversy, the UCI (governing body for professional bicycle racing) has just approved disk brakes for the pro peloton. Safety concerns are 1) too much stopping power; 2) differences in stopping power with a group mixed with rim and disk brakes; and 3) burns caused by hot disk surfaces when riders crash.

 

[tzvii]

I use normal rim brakes in the front, the last pads I bought were "Avid 20R Brake Pad Set" off Amazon, and they have lasted for many months.

I had many problems with the cheap Chinese copies of the coaster brake (mine were Histop brand); I have worn through several sets of the shoes and sheared off the driver.
After I sheared the driver I stopped by my local bike shop and luckily they had just gotten in a practically new hub with a Shimano CB-E110 coaster brake in it. They let me have for $10 bucks.
I was able to just swap the internals from it into the Chinese hub I have on my bike. I have not had any problems from the coaster brake since then. The Shimano internals were visibly of much higher quality and the brake works much better than the Histop ever did.