California Beach Cruiser With Coaster Rear Brake / Bafang Mid Drive?

[Tony]

Hi, I purchased an Electra California Beach Cruiser with the rear coaster brake, with all the will in the World I could not find anyone to give me information required on how the coaster brake would work when I installed the Bafang mid drive motor. Ultimately I went for it and installed the motor, now I can inform everyone what happens, since the Bafang apparently has two built in clutches for safety! You are left with no rear coaster brake!
Since I am so deep into this project, I am not going abandon it, I need information on how to rectify this ? There must be someone else that has done this before me? Please help?
I am a retired Diesel Engineer, so pretty hands on, my first thought was to find an old style calliper brake,but my bike has the 3" tyres and its a long way from the frame to the rim of the wheel, I am not sure that I could find a calliper that size? My second thought is to remove and dismantle the Bafang and investigate if I can remove one of the clutches, enabling me to be able to pedal backwards to operate my coaster brake? Please, please help, Thank you, Tony.

 

[J.R.]

Hi, I purchased an Electra California Beach Cruiser with the rear coaster brake, with all the will in the World I could not find anyone to give me information required on how the coaster brake would work when I installed the Bafang mid drive motor. Ultimately I went for it and installed the motor, now I can inform everyone what happens, since the Bafang apparently has two built in clutches for safety! You are left with no rear coaster brake!
Since I am so deep into this project, I am not going abandon it, I need information on how to rectify this ? There must be someone else that has done this before me? Please help?
I am a retired Diesel Engineer, so pretty hands on, my first thought was to find an old style calliper brake,but my bike has the 3" tyres and its a long way from the frame to the rim of the wheel, I am not sure that I could find a calliper that size? My second thought is to remove and dismantle the Bafang and investigate if I can remove one of the clutches, enabling me to be able to pedal backwards to operate my coaster brake? Please, please help, Thank you, Tony.

Hello Tony,
Have you looked into installing a roller brake? About $50. to $70. for a good one. Check out this link for Sheldon Brown, on roller brakes.
Good luck!

 

[Tony]

Hi J.R,
Thank you for the reply, I have been to the Sheldon Brown website, there does not appear to be any facility to ask anyone if this braking system would work on my bike? It directed me to facebook that takes a generation to download and that only supplies history of Sheldon Brown?
I could not find a Q & A page, well I did but could not find any facility to ask my question? All that I could do was read through the whole site and it seems that this set up is for Shamino gears? I have a 3 speed SRAM 1.3 hub with the coaster brake incorporated.
I did not find the site very helpful as I could not find anyway of asking would this braking system work on my bike, it may well do the job, but of course I need some technical information.
I really do thank you for your mail, I just wished that I could find a way of asking my question on that site. Tony

 

[JRA]

Trying to get your Bafang to do what you want is probably not a good idea. There is no SRAM option for a roller brake available to you that will allow you to keep your existing hub setup.

Either: http://www.ebay.com/itm/SHIMANO-Nex...Speed-Revo-Shifter-Roller-Brake-/141439339521

Or this: http://www.ebay.com/itm/like/181669177773?lpid=82&chn=ps

will solve your problem.

Unfortunately it is more expense for the hub and getting it laced on to your wheel. If you are lucky the spokes will be the same length. Perhaps more than you bargained for but about your only options at this point if you want to stick with your mid drive.

 

[J.R.]

Hi J.R,
Thank you for the reply, I have been to the Sheldon Brown website, there does not appear to be any facility to ask anyone if this braking system would work on my bike? It directed me to facebook that takes a generation to download and that only supplies history of Sheldon Brown?
I could not find a Q & A page, well I did but could not find any facility to ask my question? All that I could do was read through the whole site and it seems that this set up is for Shamino gears? I have a 3 speed SRAM 1.3 hub with the coaster brake incorporated.
I did not find the site very helpful as I could not find anyway of asking would this braking system work on my bike, it may well do the job, but of course I need some technical information.
I really do thank you for your mail, I just wished that I could find a way of asking my question on that site. Tony

I wish I could help with more information. I've never installed a roller-brake and have only ridden a bike a couple of times with a roller-brake. They've been around a long time, not really a drum or disk brake, but they work well. I personally wouldn't want a bike with as much power as yours with only one wheel brake, any brake. With tire grip being equal in front and rear tires, there is more stopping power with the front brake. That being said, you should be able to get all the specs you need at a local bike shop that sells them, or from the manufacturer.

 

[classicalgas]

First thing I'd do is find a disc brake front fork for you bike (second choice, V-brake) Then I'd look at the gasbike hotrodder sites, they have clamp on adapters that allow mounting disk brakes to a coaster hub, and bolt on disc caiper mounts. Not cheap to do all that. A rim brake will be much cheaper, and adequate on the rear if you don't ride fast. Any good bike shop can set you up with a cantilever or side pull rim brake that will reach, thye used to be common on cheap M

Hi, I purchased an Electra California Beach Cruiser with the rear coaster brake, with all the will in the World I could not find anyone to give me information required on how the coaster brake would work when I installed the Bafang mid drive motor. Ultimately I went for it and installed the motor, now I can inform everyone what happens, since the Bafang apparently has two built in clutches for safety! You are left with no rear coaster brake!
Since I am so deep into this project, I am not going abandon it, I need information on how to rectify this ? There must be someone else that has done this before me? Please help?
I am a retired Diesel Engineer, so pretty hands on, my first thought was to find an old style calliper brake,but my bike has the 3" tyres and its a long way from the frame to the rim of the wheel, I am not sure that I could find a calliper that size? My second thought is to remove and dismantle the Bafang and investigate if I can remove one of the clutches, enabling me to be able to pedal backwards to operate my coaster brake? Please, please help, Thank you, Tony.

 

[classicalgas]

Ooops...a 3" tire is very wide, you wont find old MTB center pulls to fit that, I don't think. There aren't v-brake bosses on your frame?

 

[harryS]

Do you have the bosses on the frame? My cheapo Walmart fat-bike with 4 inch rims has v-brakes front and rear. If you have the mounting bosses, it's a matter of finding brakes with long enough arms that will clear the top of the tires. Maybe you could find a way to extend them if you cannot find them for sale.

Even if you do that. odds are you will still have pretty poor brakes. The brakes on my Kent fatbike are pretty weak. I probably couldn't stop this bike from 10 mph, much less low powered e-bike speeds. So in addition to adding a rear v-brake. I would suggest replacing the front fork with one compatible with disk brakes, and then lacing in a front axle that will take a disk. Then add the caliper and lever hardware. .

I am halfway thru a similar project myself. I've laced a 4" rim to a geared hub motor for my fatbike and bought a new disk brake compatible front fork plus the disk brake hardware for it. As I have a half dozen more important things to do, this is going pretty slow. Lacing the motor was interesting though.

 

[J.R.]

@classicalgas & @harryS the question asked by Tony was asked more than a year ago and if you look at his profile, it's been more than a year since he's been here.

Nice of you to try and help though!

 

[harryS]

One year? Twenty five miles per hour with a BBS mid drive and bad brakes ....I have a bad feeling about that.