My coker came yesterday! so you what I did all day:D . I took to it easly and can ride it fast and turn pretty well.
I plan to go to a park nearby and ride with my friend who has a bike. I’ll take the didgital camera with me and get some good coker action shots which I’ll post here after.
Also around my house are some streets with steep hills that I would rather avoid then go down without a brake. What is a good brake that doesnt cost to much (under $100) and if I really even need a brake?
In my experience, trying to put brakes on a stock Coker is an exercise in frustration. A club member couldn’t get hers to work and asked me to try; it just wouldn’t work. The primary problem is the stock rim, which is not uniform enough in the weld area and general sidewall to form a reasonable braking surface. There may be an occasional stock rim that has a good braking surface, and some people may have had success with it. However, I feel that it’s best to wait to add brakes until you upgrade to a better wheel that includes uni.com’s Airfoil rim. When you do, it’s better to have mounts brazed on than to use the Big Cheese method.
Until then, you can use longer cranks to get more leverage, and ensure that your saddle has a good strong handle to pull on for more force.
Finally, there’s no shame in walking down some sections.
I agree with long cranks idea, I have steel 170’s on my Coker and I am very happy with them. I assume that pretty soon those steep hills will seem like child’s play; enjoy the new ride!
carjug
Re: new coker rider
About 250 miles of practice in varied riding conditions.
Right now, your Coker is the boss. If it does what you suggest, its because it was going to do that anyway. If you are suitably respectful, and show promise, it will get to tolerate your presence.
In 100 miles or so, it will start to listen to your opinion, and will sometimes modify its behaviour accordingly.
By 200 miles or so, it will start to think of you as a trusted second in command, and leave you in charge for extended periods.
Soon after that, if you show promise, it will offer you a partnership: 60:40 in its favour.
By 300 or so miles, if you’ve put in the effort, stayed late, and generally made a good impression, it will step back and let you run the show - although from time to time it will remind you that it has a controlling interest.
By 500 miles, you will definitely be in charge, but now and again, old Mr. Coker will come back into the office in a bad mood and throw his weight around and remind you and everyone else that it’s not long since you were the tea boy.
So, practise hard, Tea Boy. Some day, all this could be yours.
I like that explanation, I’m a tea boy!!!
Andrew
Re: Re: new coker rider
You want fries with that?
Great description, Mike!
Tim
With the stock rim, it is somewhat dicey as U-Turn says. But I have used a brake on it and it did work and it was cheap. Here is a photo of the setup (also see the next one in that album).
And here is a relevant thread.
To really do it, you need a stiff wheel, and that means an airfoil rim and then to REALLY do it you need one of U-Turn’s Super Coker wheels. But none of that is cheap.
Good luck,
Nathan
How do you have those brakes held on nathan?
I’ll take it to a nearby bike store and see it they have any expearience with rims like these.
The A-brake mounts directly to the Rad V-Brake mount. This is attached to the frame with two simple pipe clamps - it’s a no-welding-required solution. Read the post I refered to.
Disclaimer: This is NOT quality stuff - these are cheap parts and you get what you pay for. If you want something that is actually good, get Magura HS33 and the better rim and a stiff frame and a wide hub. But the poster was asking for something for under $100 for the stock Coker.
—Nathan
Thats what I’ll get then. The local bike shop should have all that.
Also who’s going to LBI and to go do I need to preregister?
Hey Tim it will be good to see you at LBI. Go to the website and preregister, because it helps out the organizers. However, if you just show up you will be welcome. BTW LBI is quite quite quite flat and you won’t need a brake for it. Our person with the strap-on brake may be there (I’m not sure yet but she has gone before) and you might wait to see her setup and talk with her. It’s up to you.
I am a fan of the hose clamp brake bosses.
Way to juryrig!
Re: Re: new coker rider
You’re killin’ me…this is too funny Mike. I received one of those reminders just tonight 
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Re: Re: new coker rider
you sure thats not a Brooks saddle your talking about?
Re: Re: Re: new coker rider
Naw, couldn’t be. At 300 miles a Brooks saddle has just begun to break in. They only get good after 800-1200 miles. By 5000 they’re perfect.
Re: Re: Re: new coker rider
LOL 
But people who swear by Brooks saddles do ride faster… Brookites do fly!