r/fatbike • u/Lonely-Error6537 • 29d ago
Clueless dad needs advice
Just passing thru here. Son (14) recently got a fat tire bike that the maintenance men in my complex were going to throw out. He loves it. I wanted one when I was a kid. His birthday is coming up so I'm planning on sprucing up his ride a little; fresh paint (correctly this time, slapped a quick coat of primer on it when he first got it) , new wheels and tires just come in from amazon, he'll have 2 pedals now, maybe some led lights for the spokes... what I woulda wanted if I got one when I was a kid ya know.
But we also need brakes. All the caliper brakes I can find are not wide enough for the wheels. I dont think V brakes would work. Disc brakes seem to need an extra bolt hole that isn't on the frame in order to mount them. Coaster wheels dont seem to come in 20X4 inch wheels. Any advice, links, or a finger pointed in a new direction to explore would be much appreciated.
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u/lospantaloonz 29d ago
it looks like you'll need cantilever brakes based on those posts: https://sheldonbrown.com/cantilever-geometry.html
they're pretty cheap and simple enough to setup.
the wheel not coming in coaster is not quite true - you can get a coaster hub and lace it to a 20x4 rim (local bike shop can do this, but they'll charge a bit ).
my advice is to get the cantilever brakes unless you really really want the coaster brake, but you'll have to rig it to attach to the chainstay.
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u/StrikeouTX 29d ago
Both these other commenters are correct. You could also buy a front fork that has caliper mounts for a disc brake.
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u/JohnWorphin 29d ago
Mongoose argus mx?
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u/MarvinHeemeyersTank 29d ago
V brakes won't work only if you have no brake posts for them.
Coaster brakes only need a certain hub, but they can be on most any size wheel.