Bruce Frech wrote:

Get a front brake.

Yep. I recommended that too.

A rear wheel only brake (regardless of it's a rim brake
or a hub brake) takes twice the distance to stop.

That's basically true, but in practice, you can usually stop shorter
with a coaster brake than with a rear hand brake.

That's why bikes with only a coaster brake are borderline safe for
street use, while bikes with only a rear hand brake are not, no matter
how good a hand brake it is.

This is because of the weight distribution. For maximum braking with a
coaster brake, you can put almost all of your weight on the rear pedal,
which is typically 6-7 inches behind the bottom bracket.

On a freewheeling bike, you can't really apply your body's weight behind
the bottom bracket, so you can't generally get as much weight on the
rear wheel for braking traction without fairly extreme acrobatics.

Sheldon "Hates Coaster Brakes, But Acknowledges Their Good Points" Brown
+-----------------------------------+
| The gains in life come slowly, |
| but the losses come suddenly. |
| -- Garrison Keillor |
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Harris Cyclery, West Newton, Massachusetts
Phone 617-244-9772 FAX 617-244-1041
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