Coaster Brake Problem - Cycling Mob: Road Cycling, Mountain Biking and More

12-31-2006, 10:10 AM

I use a one speed coaster brake junker every winter to ride as in N
Michigan there are tons of snow and salt on roads. Now I have the same
problem I had last year on a similar bike. The coaster brake gets stuck
on so hard that it can't even be unengaged forcefully and the bike
freewheels pedaling backwards. Last year I disassembled and greased and
reassembled and it worked fine for a while then happened again. I have
tools and Glenn's Bicycle repair manual that gives detailed overhaul
instructions but no mention of this problem. Any ideas for a fix that
would hopefully last a while? Thanks, I am a new member today. I ride
year round for transportation. Carol M

12-31-2006, 10:47 AM

"cmcanulty" <cmcanulty@gmail.com> wrote in message
news:1167588610.554713.280140@a3g2000cwd.googlegro ups.com...
>I use a one speed coaster brake junker every winter to ride as in N
> Michigan there are tons of snow and salt on roads. Now I have the same
> problem I had last year on a similar bike. The coaster brake gets stuck
> on so hard that it can't even be unengaged forcefully and the bike
> freewheels pedaling backwards. Last year I disassembled and greased and
> reassembled and it worked fine for a while then happened again. I have
> tools and Glenn's Bicycle repair manual that gives detailed overhaul
> instructions but no mention of this problem. Any ideas for a fix that
> would hopefully last a while? Thanks, I am a new member today. I ride
> year round for transportation. Carol M

Seems like an important deal for you seeing you ride it for transportation
like me.
I would get a bike that would be easier to fix. My Trek 4100 lasted 5 years
until the drive train needed replacing. Then I bought a new bike instead.
Course I am talking Wild Wet BC not so much snow but definitely sand, salt,
and rust.

01-01-2007, 02:13 PM

>I use a one speed coaster brake junker every winter to ride as in N
> Michigan there are tons of snow and salt on roads. Now I have the same
> problem I had last year on a similar bike. The coaster brake gets stuck
> on so hard that it can't even be unengaged forcefully and the bike
> freewheels pedaling backwards. Last year I disassembled and greased and
> reassembled and it worked fine for a while then happened again. I have
> tools and Glenn's Bicycle repair manual that gives detailed overhaul
> instructions but no mention of this problem. Any ideas for a fix that
> would hopefully last a while? Thanks, I am a new member today. I ride
> year round for transportation. Carol M

I don't think you have any options other than frequently tearing apart the
coaster brake hub (which isn't terribly difficult), cleaning & relubricating
it. Coaster brake hubs, especially one found on a "junker", aren't going to
be sealed against the elements. You're subjecting your bike to snow, salt
and, presumably, water. You can't do a lot worse to it. It's likely by now
that you've pretty nastily scored the inside surfaces that the brakes push
against, so it's possible that a bit of attention to that area might help
(you might actually have to use some very fine grit sandpaper, which will
destroy whatever surface treatment your hub once had, but my guess is that
it was already destroyed long ago).

--Mike-- Chain Reaction Bicycles
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