Single Speed Coastie Thoughts

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I was given a old Nishiki bike recently. I want to rebuild it as a single speed coastie. Any thoughts on parts?

Comments

  1. AnonymousDecember 9, 2007 at 10:26 PM

    I ride cruisers and my xcross in the winter here in alaska and I find my brakes and deraileurs freeze up when it gets below about 15degF. I have two frames I am going to rebuild into coasties. I think the most important thing is the hub. There is no such thing as a high-performance coaster brake hub, so I am going with an old bendix coaster, thinking the old steel will probably stand up better. The other bike is getting an old Sturmey-Archer internal 3 spd w/ coaster brake. All coaster brake hubs have high rolling resistance, but I have heard a Czech company called "Velosteel" makes a design that is more like an internal drum brake. I think they will be fun and low-maintainance. NYCBikes.com sells complete 700c wheelsets for 170 bucks if you don't want to build them yourself, but they are on new, less durable shimano hubs. I would put some front brakes on your coastie if you live in a hilly area, because coaster brakes will HEAT UP and FAIL CATASTROPHICALLY if you lean on 'em too long. Godspeed!

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  2. AnonymousMarch 23, 2008 at 2:05 PM

    Hi,
    I am ordering a case of Velosteel hubs direct from the factory to the USA. I will be reselling them when they come in for about $35 - just trying to spread the shipping costs and help out. If someone else had stepped up, I'd have bought one from them!
    Anyhow, I'm posting them on the Bike Forums' singlespeed area when they get here. Should be in the next few weeks.
    Muttley.

    ReplyDelete
  3. UnknownMarch 30, 2008 at 8:17 PM

    Hey Muttley, I'd get involved with the Velosteel hub order. What sizing (O.L.D & axle length) and style (thread cog or lockring)? Spoke holes?

    shoot me an email, and thanks for posting it.
    scvajda@yahoo.com

    ReplyDelete
  4. AnonymousApril 8, 2008 at 10:14 AM

    Folks,
    The Velosteel coaster hubs are in! I got one or two threaded-cog hubs, the rest take standard coaster/internal-gear splined cogs. Each hub includes an 18t cog and the chainstay clip. They are beautiful pieces. I'm selling for $30 each + $10 shipping USPS Priority Mail, I can get several hubs into a box for the same shipping costs.
    Send me an email at ronald_russell_pe@nospam.yahoo.com ,you can take out "nospam".

    ReplyDelete
  5. AnonymousApril 21, 2008 at 12:40 PM

    OK, the Velosteel coaster hubs I ordered have sold out. Thanks for the interest.
    Ron

    ReplyDelete
  6. AnonymousDecember 29, 2009 at 3:32 AM

    it looks lika a velosteel is about the same as a "Favorit" coasterbrake, which are (or perhaps were) pretty common here in the netherlands.

    ReplyDelete

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