Teaching proper braking to children

A friend of our's 6 yo daughter - had a nasty tumble recently.

was going down a pathway realised she'd got a bit too fast, slammed on
the anchors a bit hard and went over the handlebars head first into a
concrete post - it put a really good dent in her helmet. got some other
general bruises and scratches, but basically ok, but a bit of scarey
parent moment I think.

Anyway, any suggestions for helping to teach more controlled braking?
--
Chris French

On Thu, 12 Apr 2007 01:42:21 +0100, chris French wrote:

A friend of our's 6 yo daughter - had a nasty tumble recently.

was going down a pathway realised she'd got a bit too fast, slammed on
the anchors a bit hard and went over the handlebars head first into a
concrete post - it put a really good dent in her helmet. got some other
general bruises and scratches, but basically ok, but a bit of scarey
parent moment I think.

Anyway, any suggestions for helping to teach more controlled braking?

Without a helmet she might be more aware...

In article , chris French
says...
A friend of our's 6 yo daughter - had a nasty tumble recently.

was going down a pathway realised she'd got a bit too fast, slammed on
the anchors a bit hard and went over the handlebars head first into a
concrete post - it put a really good dent in her helmet. got some other
general bruises and scratches, but basically ok, but a bit of scarey
parent moment I think.

Anyway, any suggestions for helping to teach more controlled braking?

Get her to ride down the path a few more times. :-)
Are you sure the bike fits her and the brakes are set up properly?

On Thu, 12 Apr 2007 01:42:21 +0100, chris French
wrote:

A friend of our's 6 yo daughter - had a nasty tumble recently.

was going down a pathway realised she'd got a bit too fast, slammed on
the anchors a bit hard and went over the handlebars head first into a
concrete post - it put a really good dent in her helmet. got some other
general bruises and scratches, but basically ok, but a bit of scarey
parent moment I think.

Anyway, any suggestions for helping to teach more controlled braking?

Correct braking comes with experience and is natural once a child has
a feel for the bike.

Sheldon Brown suggests that the front brake only needs to be used, and
while this may be technically correct, for emergency stops I teach
children to use both brakes, applying the rear brake slightly before
the front brake.

To teach emergency stops, stand well back from the child and ask them
to cycle towards you as fast as possible, braking as late as possible,
aiming to end up with their front wheel just in front of your feet.
Their feet should remain on the pedals until the bike has come to a
complete standstill. Should they apply their front brake too hard and
go over the handlebars they'll have a soft landing! (The child should
set the pedal at the 'two o'clock' position as soon as they can after
stopping, so they are ready to set off again.)

Once the child has perfected emergency stops, teach them to use their
brakes to slow down. Cycling in a large circle, ask the child to slow
the bike to as slow a speed as possible, by very gently applying both
brakes, and then speed up again. Feet should remain on the pedals at
all times.

When you are confident the child has a good feel for the bike, send
them down a steep slope. The child should be able to control their
speed by keeping both brakes partially applied. Feet should remain on
the pedals at all times, though not pedalling.

Teach the child to keep two or more fingers over both brake levers at
all times, and never to take their feet off the pedals unless stopped.

A novice cyclist's instinctive reaction to panic at going too fast,
especially down a hill, is to snatch at the brakes, take their feet
off the pedals and lean forward to see any point of impact. This is a
sure way to crash. I have observed a child do exactly this while they
have been in my care - she was the one child who missed my playground
based session on braking, and I should never have allowed her to
progress to cycling on the road until that session had been completed.

"chris French" wrote in message
news
A friend of our's 6 yo daughter - had a nasty tumble recently.

was going down a pathway realised she'd got a bit too fast, slammed on
the anchors a bit hard and went over the handlebars head first into a
concrete post - it put a really good dent in her helmet. got some other
general bruises and scratches, but basically ok, but a bit of scarey
parent moment I think.

Anyway, any suggestions for helping to teach more controlled braking?

Applying the rear brake slightly earlier might help. Although not
applicable in an emergency situation, I've found when I've got new pads it
helps to apply them gently well in advance so they're starting to bite
before pulling them hard to come to a stop.

But then again, I'm a lot heavier than they typical 6 year old (and most
multiples thereof!) and my brakes are rarely good enough to throw me over
the handlebars despite trying!
--
peter

Cheap train tickets database
http://www.petereverett.co.uk/tickets/

Email sent to this address is generally deleted upon arrival
Visit website if you want to contact me

Following on from Tom Crispin's message. . .
Anyway, any suggestions for helping to teach more controlled braking?

/Please/ don't make it complicated. Even with your long list including
pedal position 2'o'clock etc you left out "push back with arms". My
point is that these are kids on bikes not A-level students.

But controlled and fierce braking is something cyclists (whether
trainers or not) take for granted, and as you point out, overlooking it
could spell disaster. So a useful thread.

OT : I still flick each brake at the crest of a descent this goes with a
thought of a plan and what risks there might be such as loose gravel on
that tight bend at the bottom.

Tom's post follows:

Correct braking comes with experience and is natural once a child has
a feel for the bike.

Sheldon Brown suggests that the front brake only needs to be used, and
while this may be technically correct, for emergency stops I teach
children to use both brakes, applying the rear brake slightly before
the front brake.

To teach emergency stops, stand well back from the child and ask them
to cycle towards you as fast as possible, braking as late as possible,
aiming to end up with their front wheel just in front of your feet.
Their feet should remain on the pedals until the bike has come to a
complete standstill. Should they apply their front brake too hard and
go over the handlebars they'll have a soft landing! (The child should
set the pedal at the 'two o'clock' position as soon as they can after
stopping, so they are ready to set off again.)

Once the child has perfected emergency stops, teach them to use their
brakes to slow down. Cycling in a large circle, ask the child to slow
the bike to as slow a speed as possible, by very gently applying both
brakes, and then speed up again. Feet should remain on the pedals at
all times.

When you are confident the child has a good feel for the bike, send
them down a steep slope. The child should be able to control their
speed by keeping both brakes partially applied. Feet should remain on
the pedals at all times, though not pedalling.

Teach the child to keep two or more fingers over both brake levers at
all times, and never to take their feet off the pedals unless stopped.

A novice cyclist's instinctive reaction to panic at going too fast,
especially down a hill, is to snatch at the brakes, take their feet
off the pedals and lean forward to see any point of impact. This is a
sure way to crash. I have observed a child do exactly this while they
have been in my care - she was the one child who missed my playground
based session on braking, and I should never have allowed her to
progress to cycling on the road until that session had been completed.

--
PETER FOX Not the same since the pancake business flopped

2 Tees Close, Witham, Essex.
Gravity beer in Essex http://www.eminent.demon.co.uk

On Thu, 12 Apr 2007 01:42:21 +0100
chris French wrote:

Experience is a very good and quick teacher ...

was going down a pathway realised she'd got a bit too fast,
slammed on the anchors a bit hard and went over the handlebars head
first

I did exactly that myself. Once. It wasn't on my first bike,
but rather the first time I rode a bike with UK brakes.

into a
concrete post - it put a really good dent in her helmet.

Except we didn't have silly hats in my day. I just got up,
sorted myself out, and walked the (now somewhat bent) bike
back home.

--
not me guv

"I'm able-bodied. Why should I want a car?"

On Thu, 12 Apr 2007 08:59:17 +0100, Nick Kew wrote:

On Thu, 12 Apr 2007 01:42:21 +0100
chris French wrote:

Experience is a very good and quick teacher ...

was going down a pathway realised she'd got a bit too fast,
slammed on the anchors a bit hard and went over the handlebars head
first

I did exactly that myself. Once. It wasn't on my first bike,
but rather the first time I rode a bike with UK brakes.

into a
concrete post - it put a really good dent in her helmet.

Except we didn't have silly hats in my day. I just got up,
sorted myself out, and walked the (now somewhat bent) bike
back home.

Yes you did have silly hats, I think; you wore them to football games and
if you were in a panto.

Tom Crispin wrote:

Sheldon Brown suggests that the front brake only needs to be used,

Not in all situations. Exceptions are mentioned.

and
while this may be technically correct, for emergency stops I teach
children to use both brakes, applying the rear brake slightly before
the front brake.

Applying the rear before the front won't do anything to stop the rider going
over the bars if the front is later applied too hard, will make the rear
tyre more likely to skid and the rider more likely to loose control, and
will reduce stopping distance because time is being lost while the front
brake is not being used - even if that is just for a fraction of a second.
I think teaching this also gives the wrong message that the rear brake is
more important - since important things tend to be done first.

If both brakes are going to be used generally, it's better to apply them at
the same time, IMHO.

~PB

chris French wrote:
A friend of our's 6 yo daughter - had a nasty tumble recently.

was going down a pathway realised she'd got a bit too fast, slammed
on the anchors a bit hard and went over the handlebars head first
into a concrete post - it put a really good dent in her helmet. got
some other general bruises and scratches, but basically ok, but a bit
of scarey parent moment I think.

Anyway, any suggestions for helping to teach more controlled braking?

When you need to slow down quickly, you've got to brace yourself by pushing
against the bars while braking. How exactly you teach this to a 6 yo, I
don't really know.

~PB