Osobike

[laredoshane]

I have been working on a project now for about six months. It's a new concept for a bike. Well, It's probably not new, but it would be hard for someone to get I bike like this without having it built. The bike looks a lot like a fixed gear but acually has a coasterbrake. This bike would work well for commuting because it is light, and fast, but pretty low mainence. I have been a big fan of coasterbrakes for several years now. The bike is called the Osobike and the website is www.osobike.com. If you have some time could you please check out the website, and If you think you might want a bike be sure to fill out the pre order so I can get you on a waiting list.
Shane Stock
Laredo TX

 

[fossyant]

Pretty cheap, but would imagine it would be the £ equivalent over here so not too cheap if it got over here.

Fixed bikes are getting popular again over here - how fast do coaster brakes stop you..... you might get further over in the UK with a disc braked model.

20lbs isn't as light as I'd have thought - I've got 2 steel road bikes fully geared etc at 20lbs / 9kgs.....

That said it looks smart, but I'd be worried about the braking power in heavy traffic - far too many idiot drivers about..

 

[Aperitif]

Nice looking bike Shane - good luck with your enterprise - and the carbon fibre version!
As fossyant says - braking power is the key for that sort of bike - wide open spaces in the UK are often between politician's ears...

 

[Tetedelacourse]

How do coaster brakes work? Is it just a fixed?

Looks smart though, I'll give you that.

 

[BentMikey]

It's nothing like fixed, it's a singlespeed freewheel with a back-pedal hub brake. Simple and works well, but you still need a brake on the front wheel.

 

[Fab Foodie]

It's nothing like fixed, it's a singlespeed freewheel with a back-pedal hub brake. Simple and works well, but you still need a brake on the front wheel.

Agreed, if you wanna be legal, 2 brakes are needed on a bike in the UK. On a fixed-wheel bike leg-braking is considered one brake, thus the fitting of a front brake at least is required.

 

[Fab Foodie]

Hi Laredoshane.
Nice bike, but I think it'll be a tough sell here frankly, there's an awful lot of fixed and Single-speed options about and Coaster brakes have never been popular here, maybe they don't suit our terrain or traffic. Modern dual-pivot brakes are light and simple enough and waaaay more effective. I just can't square a "fast" bike with a Coaster brake to stop me quick enough. Scary.

 

[TwickenhamCyclist]

Was up in town Friday – around Mayfair – sure I saw a few cycle couriers on similar machines – no breaks or cables visible – how about loaning a few couriers companies a spare bike for a trial – seem like an ideal target for potential buyers

 

[BentMikey]

Oh, I quite like coaster brakes, they're plenty powerful, as much as any rear brake is really. The only bummer is you can't spin the pedal backwards to set it for a start, so have to do the fixed thing.

 

[Andy Pandy]

While I could live without a back brake, I couldn't without a front. How would you stop in the wet?

 

[palinurus]

Nice clean lines, I'd have to spoil it with a front brake however.

 

[alecstilleyedye]

i had a bmx bike with a coaster brake; it was a very powerful brake too.

 

[BentMikey]

While I could live without a back brake, I couldn't without a front. How would you stop in the wet?

Slower, but more safely.

 

[PrettyboyTim]

I used to have a backpedal brake on one of my bikes when I was a kid. In fact I think they recommend them for young children as they may not have enough strength in their hands to stop the wheel. The Cnoc Islabikes have them for the rear.

 

[laredoshane]

SOME THOUGHTS ON COASTERBRAKES:

If you were a kid during the seventies, you may remember the old Schwinn stingrays--they had banana seats, and thick tires in the back for skidding. My friends and I used to ride those bikes around all summer and we were pretty hard on them. We would race them around the bumpy dirt trails of the vacant lots in the little town of Othello, Washington. We would make ramps out of boards and cinder blocks to make our bikes fly. Or we would go to the elementary school and go under the monkey bars, Then we would grab the bars and let our bikes go flying out into the lawn. The bikes were pretty much all single speeds with coaster brakes. I do not recall ever having a coaster brake go bad, which I think is remarkable considering the abuse they took.
If you go to Asia you will see a lot more adults riding bikes, and many of them are riding single speeds with coaster brakes. Why do coaster brakes seem less popular in the U.S. and in the UK? Some of it has do do with the fact that 10-speeds have become popular, and it is not possible to have a conventional 10-speed with coaster brakes. If a person rides around on a 10-speed with caliper brakes for 10 years, he gets so used to the caliper brakes, that it feels weird to go back to coaster brakes.
I have always liked single speed coaster brakes set ups. The places I have lived have been fairly flat, so I don't need all the gears. If I hit hill that is too steep I just zig zag up it, which has the same effect as gearing up. I like coaster brakes for the following reasons:
1. They almost never require maintenance or adjustment. And contrary to what some people believe, they can be serviced if needed (which is almost never).
2. They don't make any sound when you are coasting (no tick-tick-tick fish real sound that you get with other set ups).
3.Your foot is always on the brake. With caliper brakes you sometimes have to move your hand to a different position to grab the brake handle.
4. You don't have the risk of braking too hard on the front wheel and flipping over, which happened to me one time and wasn't fun.
5. They do not get wet and slide when it is raining.

Shane Stock
Osobike.