Nice writeup. I would like to add that coaster brakes are my favorite. The whole flow of cycling becomes so much more smooth. Braking by hand (on a lever) is sh

Nice writeup. I would like to add that coaster brakes are my favorite. The whole flow of cycling becomes so much more smooth. Braking by hand (on a lever) is shocky, always last-minute, more like stop-go-stop-go. Very tiresome, not only for the hands but for my whole body. I notice that I pay more attention to the road and traffic, look more forward and cycle more defensive with coaster brakes. Some disadvantages: if my chain breaks, I have a problem. Although I must add I live in pretty flat Netherlands. But there are some steap long hills here that I like to ride once in a while, which give me another problem. I noticed my braking power reduced significantly when I kept braking for one or two minutes. Which is not strange, since the braking happens around the hub, so all the force concentrates there. This could be the specific brakes that were on my bike back then, but it scared me nonetheless.