Adding front Brakes on a bike that has coaster brakes
 

Hello,
Is it possible to add front brakes onto a Vilano Urbano one speed bicycle.

Im so use to brakes and not use to peddling backwards to stop. If so which ones should I get from Amazon and what length cable wire.

Thanks

I recommend you just wheel it into a good local bike shop and ask them. That will save you a lot of headaches with possibly getting a mismatched part and having to send it back. A good front rim brake won't cost a lot and for a few extra bucks they'll install it for you.

If the bike shop sells her a brake, cable and lever I’d be surprised if they charged extra for installation. The main question would be if they had a caliper f the right size in stock.

I tried a Google search of this bike and could only find very poor photos of it. No detail that could help you with your question. Amazon is not going to be able to help you with this. They will not be able to tell you if a certain front brake will fit your bike, or how to install it. Cable wires are cut to length by a bike shop mechanic. They don't come pre cut for your convenience.

For any bike shop to sell any component like that without charging extra for installation, their price would have to be exorbitant.. It isn't like installing an accessory like a basket or a bell or mudguards. It is about installing a major safety device that may or not fit properly.

https://www.foldingbikeguy.com/vilan...g-bike-review/

Some pics at the link above.

Looks like a typical brake mounting hole in the fork. Perhaps a brake made for 20" kids BMX bikes would bolt right up?

I saw that photo as well. Are you willing to help the OP out when that brake doesn't "bolt right up"? Long reach single pivot calliper brakes can be very finicky to set up. they almost always don't just bolt on

You can almost definitely install a front brake on that bike, as you could on almost any other bike. What type of brake and how to hook it up is another problem into which I have no insight as I am not familiar with the bike.

Some problems you may encounter are: The brake cable might get kinked or damaged when you fold up the bike, and the rim of the front wheel may not have ideal surfaces for a brake to contact.

Apparently I should have bolded Perhaps and the ?. Throwing out an idea sure beats the hell out of pessimism.

$18.00 for a bmx brake kit on A'zon may or may not be worth the effort to the OP. Not my call to make, but she/he did post the question.

At Vilano's website you can see several models of folders and some have rim brakes. I assume they use the same style of rims, so brake pad contact surfaces should not be an issue.

As to cable damage, that doesn't seem to be an issue on their other folders either. The possible problem would be measuring the cable housing. Assuming the bike is going to be folded, first extend the handlebar stem to its maximum height and take a housing measurement. Then fold the front end and measure again to make sure the bend doesn't require extra length. Looking at their other models, I doubt it would, but measure for that anyway to be sure. If the bike shop doesn't have a suitable brake in stock, just have them order it.

If you want to install the brake yourself, there are lots of YouTube vids showing you how; I especially liked the Park Tools video. It shows how to install and adjust the pads. You'd do well to check those out anyway so you can do your own maintenance.

Not sure why you'd assume that since large-brand manufacturers rarely use the same rim across their line-ups. In fact, that rim doesn't look like it has a dedicated brake surface.

Looks like a smaller black version of the same rims on my last Schwinn cruiser, my wife's Schwinn cruiser, and my current Schwinn Willy. The first two had/have v-brakes, the Willy has a double pivot caliper front brake with rear coaster brake.

https://www.bikefolded.com/wp-conten...ing-bike-8.jpg

from https://www.bikefolded.com/vilano-ur...g-bike-review/

I assume they would use the same rim--wherever possible--because it simplifies the supply chain and thus lowers their cost by leveraging economies of scale. That becomes more important when they're selling a bike that retails for $200.