Who used a coaster BITD?

[factory pilot]

Speaking to Brett about coaster brakes at Blackpool he revealed he always used them and still does ... He's yes to it. Personally I had one on my Aero Reflex but just couldn't ever get used to it and for me it was like a suicide brake .. I love back pedalling while riding so I found myself going over the handlebars every few metres!
Brett seemed to think it was 60/40 split for freestylers for those that did or didn't use them.
Isn't there an instance in the Kellogs where Craig Campbell actually changed bikes mid routine from coaster to non-coaster bikes ?
I could be wrong.
I know the three main types were Bendix ( early ) then suntour and shimano.
Brett said the suntour was more forgiving than the shimano and had more give so better for beginners like myself ..

What has been your experience lads?
Anybody like Brett still using them today?

[Retrodan72]

I never had one, but rode other people's bikes that did, and I'm with you whereas I could never get used to them. One of my favourite tricks was a roll back, and my brain just wanted my legs to pedal backwards in to help momentum, alrhough it did look good when others rolled back with horizontal cranks.

[dancetothedrummersbeat]

Never had one myself, but had a go on a few mates bikes with them. I could never get on with them as i'm a serial back pedalr - i find it rather theraputic for some reason. I hired a bike in Amsterdam a few years ago that was fitted with a coaster brake. Almost killed myself engaging it unintentionally at the wrong time. Great for protecting your z rims though - i should have fitted one to the adidas build 

[oldschoolace]

Mate had one and didn't like it. I was also, and still am a backpedaler 

[Retrodan72]

Never had one myself, but had a go on a few mates bikes with them. I could never get on with them as i'm a serial back pedalr - i find it rather theraputic for some reason. I hired a bike in Amsterdam a few years ago that was fitted with a coaster brake. Almost killed myself engaging it unintentionally at the wrong time. Great for protecting your z rims though - i should have fitted one to the adidas build 

I knew a lad that converted his Rebel to a racer by removing both standard brakes and just having a coaster. 

[CustardLips]

I did on my Strika. 

[Retrodan72]

I did on my Strika. 

Must've been a green one, they only had them on green 'uns. 

[CustardLips]

I did on my Strika. 

Must've been a green one, they only had them on green 'uns. 

It was Dan until it got sprayed navy blue with silver mud guards. 

[Bob_Acid]

I had one for a while but couldn't get on with it so swapped it as soon as I could

[deeman]

I had one on my PR bitd...came with the Acorn freestyle mags. I think they were only popular for a year or two in the early days of freestyle....good for kickturns and back hops, little else!
I remember taking a chunk out my shin when I locked up in the wet playing a game of tag!

[oldtired]

had a pair of lesters  on a team murray with a coaster brake, bendix one  (still got em )  but i took the pads out  and fitted a caliper,


i then  rode coaster tuffs for ages in the 80's ,along with a Araya aero's  on bendix coasters ,   made drop ins on quarters n kickturns easy ,  mx 1000's which were pretty much the only brake you could get never really worked that well so a coaster as well was the way to go if you wanted to stop on a ramp without slipping back to certain chin damage    always had the sprocket welded on though save stripping out the little notches , like having a chain break when they went , straight over the bars.......chin damage  

 thought about running one on my ns the other year but never got round to buying one , can see it being interesting learning to ride using one again 

[mrsmudgelondon]

i rode with one as well took me a few days to get use to it.....dont know if i could or would use one today .....

[brimfull]

I rode always rode one BITD and my Master still has one now and I still like riding it. Made for  a few worries dropping in on the snake run at Kettering but I always liked it as I was never gonna slip my pedals and mash my shins up 
Wilton kick turns still one of my favourite tricks 

[McQUEEN]

I rode with one - they were essential for small ramp tricks like kick turns (all the variations where you could 'stand' on the back pedal and pivot around), rockwalks and rollbacks.

Also essential if your rode freestyle with one of the first rotors as they didn't stop anything!

I also vividly remember cutting out the rivets/bolts on my rear skyway to fit one and I ended up converting quite a few for friends in my Dads garage!

[griff]

No

[QUADROPHENIA]

Yep because of Stupple

[benno]

Yep I ran coaster OGKS , still got em although I haven't used em for 25yrs

[dp and chopper dude]

I had one on my Strika and it was a green one! I bought a set of green coaster 50/50 tuffs when they came out for my dp. I ran a front brake with a pots and a coaster rear. I've got an orange rear coaster tuff for when I get my finger out and build the bike I've been planning for about 4 years and I've got a shimano coaster hub for if I ever go spokes on a build. The only reason I haven't got them on my other 2 bikes is there wasn't any about when I was building them. I wanted one originally because Bob Haro did and I saw him on the BMX Lightning Wheels video I saved up for.

[factory pilot]

It was the 84 Final of BMX Beat when Craig Campbell swapped bikes .. He had a coaster then swapped for freewheel to get maximum air on the quarter pipe 

[radovr]

Yep ran a pk with black coaster tuffs bitd and now my gt has yellow coaster tuffs and building an Ammaco with red ogk 's  coaster . Love the quietness of them riding and of course the stopping power .

[john4130]

i rode one for about a month but never got on with it, almost sent myself over the bars a few times dropping in. gave it to my brother who rode it for about a month as well, he never got on with it either. the funniest thing i've ever seen was when we were on the way too the local ramp pedaling at speed. we crossed over a road and just as my brother went to bunnyhop up the kerb he hit the brake and ended up going over the bars onto grass luckily.  i've been using a freecoaster for about the last 20 years now and find them much better.

[chownie]

Ive got one on my '85 World Tour which Ive had since new.  I aways liked it but did fit and ACS Freecoaster so had the best of both worlds.

[steve69]

As like many others, I too had a green Raleigh Strika with a coaster brake.
Progressing in to BMX late 79, part of my decision was based on the type of brakes fitted when I chose the Redline MX-II Moto-S as my first BMX.
A few years later when the Skyway Tuff 2's were released, I asked my mum for a set of red coaster tuffs for my birthday. With great excitement I ripped open the Skyway box, fitted them immediately thinking wow technology's moved on, Skyway's done away with the arm!! I jumped on my machine and tore off down the road to show them off (and I do mean Down the road as we lived at the top). Let's just say my short life flashed before me when I realised technology advances weren't so fast and my mum had bought the wrong ones!! I was a lucky lad that day when I went flying across the main road unprepared.
I then fitted a calliper brake and have not ridden with a coaster since.
 

[gary4130]

still got my grey coater tuffs when they came out -to do pedal pickers on ,then put a acs freecoaster so i could have the best of both .
still had a dabble with a few bikes with a coaster now ,but prefer to use a suntor coaster hub but with freecoaster washers fitted  in