Getting your child comfortable with hand brakes is essential. One small—but often overlooked—tweak makes a huge difference: lever reach. If the lever sits too far away from small hands, kids over-stretch, lose grip, and feel out of control. Set it right and stopping becomes easy, predictable, and confidence-building.
The goal: comfortable two-finger braking
Aim for two-finger braking—index and middle finger on the lever, the others wrapped around the grip. This keeps a secure hold on the handlebars while still delivering strong braking.
Note: Some low-quality kids’ bikes need a full handful to stop. All base bikes use quality, reach-adjustable levers that work beautifully with two fingers.
What you’ll need
- 2 mm hex key (for the reach-adjust screw on base bikes)
- A quiet, flat area to test
- Optional: 4/5 mm hex key and a phillips/flat screwdriver if you later fine-tune cable/pad clearance
Step 1: Set the lever angle first
- Sit your child on the bike in a neutral, comfy position.
- Rotate each brake lever on the bar so the lever blade lines up with the natural angle of your child’s forearm when they reach out.
- Tighten the clamp bolts. This reduces wrist bend and makes pulling the lever feel natural.
Step 2: Adjust the reach
- Ask your child to place hands normally on the grips.
- Check if their index/middle fingers can rest on the lever without stretching.
- Using the 2 mm hex key, turn the small reach screw clockwise to bring the lever closer to the bar.
- Re-check: can they comfortably hook two fingers and pull without shifting the whole hand off the grip?
Tip: Adjust in small turns and test each time.
Step 3: Do the squeeze test
- Have your child gently pull the lever while you watch clearance.
- The lever should not hit the grip when the brake is fully on.
- If it bottoms out, you’ve shortened the reach a lot and may need a quick cable/pad tweak (see next step).
Step 4: If you made a big reach change, refine pad/cable clearance
- Turn the barrel adjuster clockwise (in) at the lever to add slack until the wheel spins freely and there’s a small amount of free play before the pads bite.
- Squeeze the lever to check feel: it should bite smoothly before halfway to the bar and not rub when released.
- Fine-tune with tiny turns (¼-turn at a time) until it feels right.
If you still have pad rub or a spongy feel after this, watch our short brake adjustment video or pop into your local bike shop for a quick tune.
Quick safety checks (60 seconds)
- Spin both wheels: no pad rub, no scraping sounds.
- Bounce the bike lightly: no lever rattle, clamps secure.
- Slow-roll test on flat ground: practise smooth stops with two fingers only.
Common pitfalls (and easy fixes)
- Lever too low/high: wrists bend sharply or elbows flare. Re-set the angle to match forearm line.
- Lever hits the grip: increase cable tension at the barrel adjuster or reset cable at the calliper.
- Tiny hands still stretching: bring the reach in another quarter-turn and retest.
When to get help
If the wheel won’t spin freely after adjustment, the lever still bottoms on the grip, or braking feels weak/uneven, book a quick tune at your local bike shop to get things spot on.