How to Teach Your Child to Use Hand Brakes

Your school age child has learned the basics of riding a two-wheeled bicycle. She has mastered the concepts of balance while coasting and while pedaling. She has even learned to use that hand or coaster brake properly.

If your child rides a bicycle with a coaster brake, consider switching to a bike with hand brakes. If she will be learning soon, buy a bike with hand brakes first.

Compared to hand brakes, coaster brakes might seem like one less thing to worry about, but pedaling backwards is illogical to kids, and one misstep could send your child over the handlebars. Upon completing this lesson, you will teach your child to use hand brakes to safely stop a two-wheeled bike.

Difficulty: Moderately Challenging

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• One child-size two wheeler with hand brakes
• One adult-size two wheeler with hand brakes
• Helmets for each head
• A soft patch of grass
• One shiny dime

1. Before you begin, make sure that your child’s brakes can stop the bike, but will not grab so quickly that they will cause an unneeded fall. The brake pads should gradually grab the rims as you compress the brake handles.
   
   If the brakes immediately lock up the wheels, or do not slow the bike quickly or at all, you can adjust the brake cables by twisting the adjusting barrels where the cables meet the brake handles, or at the other end where the cables meet the brake calipers near the frame and fork.

2. Assuming your child knows right from left, have him push his bike along and press the right brake handle. The back wheel should stop turning and drag along the ground.
   
   If your child has a hard time reaching from the handlebar to the brake handle, there is an adjustment screw in the font of the brake, just inside the handle on most brake models. Turn this screw clockwise to move the brake handle closer to the handlebar.

3. Have your child repeat this process using the left hand brake. If this works as it should, she will cause the front wheel to stop, and the rear end will buck at least a little. Explain that the right (rear) brake is her best friend, and that the left (front) brake should only come along after the right brake has been invited.

4. Kids love this part, especially if they see you crash. As he watches you ride, use the rear brake to slow your bike, then stop it. Explain that the rear brake is the RIGHT brake, as in the correct brake to use.
   Now, repeat the process using only the left (front) brake.
   
   If you do this well, your child will see that front-only braking can lead to and end-o, where the rider falls forward over the handlebars as the rear wheel pitches up off the ground.
   
   For left handers who have trouble using the right brake more than the left, you can switch brake handles easily by pulling both hand grips, loosening the mounting screws on each hand brake, pulling and switching the handles on the handlebars. Tighten the mounting screws and replace the hand grips.

5. Get your child used to using both brakes for solid stopping power.
   Do you remember we mentioned earlier that the left brake should only come along if it is invited by the right brake? Have your child coast along the grass, gently squeeze the right brake and follow that immediately with the left brake.
   
   Explain that most (about 70%) of a bike’s stopping power comes from the front brake. She is now using the right brake to begin the stopping process and anticipate the sudden stopping power of the front brake. When she squeezes the right brake, she will naturally lean back, away from the handlebars. Now, when she squeezes the left brake, she will not pitch forward over them.

6. Have you ever heard the expression, “He could stop on a dime, and give you five cents change!”? You want your child to be that kid. Quicker stops men better control and ultimately better safety when the difference between a near miss and an accident is measured in 100ths of a second.
   The test: Have your child ride along the sidewalk and try to stop with his bike’s front wheel on that shiny new dime.
   
   Point out where it is the first few tries. When he gets the hang of it, have him try stopping with the rear wheel on the dime. This drill will introduce him to balancing for quick stops, estimating stopping distance and being aware of the length of his bike in relation to a given space.
   Once he has mastered these stops, have him try the same stops and restart without touching the ground.

Tips & Warnings

• Switch the brake handles on the handlebars for left handed riders.
• Remember that “Perfect practice makes perfect!” Do not allow lazy, sloppy or careless technique, because correcting these bad habits is much harder than learning correctly the first time.
• Remember to ensure that both brakes work properly.

[phillee]

on 2/24/2009 Shame this is completely the wrong way around.The FRONT brake is the main brake, the rear is comparatively ineffective.At maximum braking effort the rear tyre is barely touching the ground, and any attempt to use it in any meaningful way will cause it to lock. Use it only hard enough to provide warning of the rear wheel lifting (when it locks with little pressure).The front brake should be on the right, the same as on motorcycles - learning the wrong reflex for braking at this early stage could cause major problems later, if the rider advances to a motorcycle.See "Cyclecraft" by John Franklin for the correct method. It's the official text on which the National Cycle Training Standard in the UK is based.