Apollo XC26 mountain bike, convert it to a coaster brake fixie?

Question

Hi a few years ago I acquired this bike:

It's a pretty crappy bike, it's cheap, poor quality parts and not really a mountain bike... but that is why i love it. It means i have to pay extra attention when taking fast sections of downhill, land properly when doing jumps and if anything brakes it doesn't really matter as the bike was cheap. I buy more cheap parts and get to learn how to build and repair a bike as i go, this bike is a learning experiment for me, as I do not want to spend £1000s on a good downhill bike i bought this second hand for £20 and rag it and then replenish the parts.

However i want to make some modifications; i would like it to be like an old school BMX: - Fixie - Coaster brake Reason for this is the cables get in the way, the gear system is that inneffective twist shift, they don't work properly and it is just another cheap component that will break.

I know i can change this into a fixie, but can i also give it coaster brakes? If i do will i still be able to somewhat downhill and jumps? Thanks Dan

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EDIT

it is horizontal drop outs so i think it should be possible, but i have not had much experience

Answer 1

You can give it coaster brakes (but note that it won't be a fixie; it will be a single speed which can coast without peddling with coaster brakes). Just buy or build a wheel with a coaster brake in it (you will need a coaster brake hub of the appropriate width) of the appropriate wheel size, put it in the dropout appropriately and then make sure to clamp on the reaction arm to the chainstay.

That being said, coaster brakes for mountain biking are generally not a good idea. They don't dissipate heat very well, and you have less freedom to position your pedals. On top of that, coaster brakes often lock up which isn't great. On top of that, removing a coaster brake wheel is more work than just a quick release (for flats, for example).