WikiPedalia is not endorsed or affiliated with the Wikimedia Foundation.
Coaster Brake
A type of rear hub which incorporates a brake which is operated by pedaling backward. It is called a "coaster brake" because it combines the functions of the brake and freewheel ("coaster") in a single unit. When the coaster brake first appeared on the scene, freewheels were uncommon, if they were even in use at all, in the era of the spoon brake.
An unusual feature of coaster brakes is that this type of rear hub is that it permits the bicycle to be rolled backward without causing the cranks to turn backward as well. This is a useful feature in some freestyle tricks. There is also a type of hub called a "freecoaster" that permits this. It is basically a coaster brake hub with the brake mechanism removed.
See my Article on Coaster Brakes
