With a freewheel the rider can freely spin the pedals backwards when stopped to get the pedals into the correct position. It's easier to state the bike with one of the pedals in the 10 o'clock position, so that the rider can step on the pedal to give the bike an initial push. When this engages the brakes, it can frustrate the learning experience. When learning, many young riders tend to occasionally backpedal. In all of these situations, a rider who cannot properly modulate the brakes is likely to simply lock-up the rear wheel which can be frustrating and even dangerous.Ĭoaster brakes can frustrate kids who are just learning There are a variety of situations in which proper modulation is important including controlling speed on a long descent and stopping on a loose or slippery surface (like sand or wet asphalt). That is, it is easier for a rider to control braking power. Hand brakes provide good rider feedback and are easier to modulate. In an emergency, this could cause delay in braking.or worse, a flustered rider might not be able to brake at all. ![]() If the rider is in this position and wants to engage the brakes, the rider will need to pedal about 45 degrees forward before being able to brake. There are certain positions in which the rider does not have good backpedaling leverage, for example when the pedals are at 12 o'clock and 6 o'clock. Hand brakes are not dependent on specific pedal positionĬoaster brakes require the rider to back pedal in order to engage the brakes. Hand brakes can be operated with the feet on or off of the pedals. Coaster brakes necessarily require the rider to sacrifice braking ability if they want to take their feet off the pedals. However, there are lots of good reasons a child might want to take their feet off the pedals - for example to brace for a stop or to stabilize while going down steep or bumpy terrain. One of the biggest problems with coaster brakes is that in order to operate the brakes, the rider's feet must be on the pedals. Hand brakes are safer and tend to make children more confident than coaster brakes Parents can remove the coaster brake with an optional freewheel kit.Įnough from the lawyers, here are 9 reasons why we think hand brakes are the best setup for kids bikes: Because of this, our Alpha One 14" comes with both front and rear hands brakes and a coaster brake. All Prevelo bikes are CPSC compliant and are third party certified to meet CPSC standards. ![]() ![]() We're not looking to pick a fight with the CPSC. In the United States, the CPSC requires certain bikes to be sold with coaster brakes.For example, some riders with disabilities may be more effective at operating coaster brakes than hand brakes. While we generally recommend hand brakes, we don't claim that they are the optimum brakes for all riders.Keep this in mind when transitioning a rider to a new bike that has a type of brake they do not have experience with. This includes, among other things, making sure that the rider understands how to balance forces between the front and rear hand brakes, and in particular, to avoid sudden powerful front braking. Regardless of what kind of brakes are on your kid's bike, make sure that the rider understands how to operate them and has the strength and coordination to use them.We'll explain why.īefore we get started, a few caveats from our lawyers: We've spent a lot of time testing and observing children riding bikes and we believe that for most kids, a bike with hand brakes is the best option. ![]() There are two types of brakes that are common on kids' bikes: coaster brakes (aka "pedal brakes") and hands brakes (often rim brakes).
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