Adding hand brakes to kids’ bikes

[peterw_diy]

I’d love to hear advice for when there are no proper brake holes, as I just scored a great 16″ bike but its seat stay bridge has a hole in the other direction, for mounting its custom fender.

[oldbikechick]

Phoenix bikes was able to add a brake to my daughter’s bike, which I think is 16″. The problem is that brakes here do not seem to be made for little hands. So, they had to put the brake on without much leverage so that she could even reach it to squeeze it with her little hand also having to wrap around the handlebar grip. So, the brake is not all that functional. But, we knew that going in, it is more for the comfort of having a hand brake, which she had on the bike she learned on in Europe. I would be interested to know if it is possible to find kid-sized brakes here.

[hozn]

Isla makes their kid-sized levers specially; they mighty sell them directly? Honestly a good option may be just looking for parts on ebay in the UK or similar.

As for the brake calipers themselves, @Jon, are the frames drilled with cantilever brake bosses? My son’s 14″ front brake looks like a mini v-brake.

[jrenaut]

Both bikes are drilled like this

[ATTACH=CONFIG]8442[/ATTACH] [ATTACH=CONFIG]8443[/ATTACH]

[hozn]

I suspect those holes weren’t intended for brakes. Maybe a long-reach road caliper? Looks like it would be too far, though. (And that tires would be too wide for the road brakes.)

[hozn]

For reference on levers/v-brakes mentioned above.

[DismalScientist]

@hozn 114546 wrote:

I suspect those holes weren’t intended for brakes. Maybe a long-reach road caliper? Looks like it would be too far, though. (And that tires would be too wide for the road brakes.)

Bolt-on centerpull brakes FTW.

[hozn]

There ya go; I didn’t even know that was a thing!

[DismalScientist]

Checking out my collection, it seem that old style sidepulls have greater horizontal clearance as well. I suggest checking the old component bins at Phoenix.

[Starduster]

@jrenaut 114545 wrote:

Both bikes are drilled like this

[ATTACH=CONFIG]8442[/ATTACH] [ATTACH=CONFIG]8443[/ATTACH]

Bolt-on, sidepull caliper or whatever (I once found a rather exotic centerpull designed for this application), from a *BMX* supplier, which would guarantee finding a brake with the needed long reach. *Radiused washers* are available for both front and rear applications. A BMX vendor will also have brake levers sized for young hands. Unless the frame is damaged or junk, those mounts will be more than strong enough. I once made long-reach caliper brakes (good ones!) work, safely, on an old cruiser that was never designed with hand brakes in mind.

[Author]

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