About Coaster brakes

Coaster Brakes are an alternative to hand brakes or fixed gear bikes.

Wikipedia says

“When such a hub is pedaled forwards, the sprocket drives a screw which forces a clutch to move along the axle, driving the hub shell or gear assembly. When pedaling is reversed, the screw drives the clutch in the opposite direction, forcing it either between two brake pads and pressing them against the shell, or into a split collar and expanding it against the shell.”

That all means you get one forward gear, you can coast along without pedaling, and if you step back on the pedals you activate the brake and the bike comes to a stop.

Here’s what a standard Cone Clutch design looks like inside:

When you pedal backwards, the brake shoes push against the surface inside the rear hub and that stops the bike. They have a drum brake like your car.

Here’s what they look like on the outside:

and on a bike:

Coaster Brakes were invented in (as far as we can tell) 1896 by New Departure. They were an update from Fixed gear bicycles, which was the standard technology of the time.

Since then there have been some improvements. Multiple speeds, better materials, Etc.

Coasties uses a low-drag spring in our hubs. This makes pedalling easier and lessens the chances of the spring overheating on long descents.