30 Days of Biking - New brakes

A few weeks ago we were looking at our stash of kids' bikes getting ready for warm weather. Our 6-year-old daughter got a hand-me-down bike last year from an older cousin. It was bigger and heavier than any bike she had ridden before. She learned to handle the bike alright but the brakes were always too hard to pull. We realized after watching her ride that her inability to stop was making her anxious. It also meant it would not be safe for us to do anything but sidewalk riding.I did a little bit of research and found that others had similar problems with hand brakes that were too hard for small hands to pull.

I thought about replacing the bike but it seemed like I shouldn't have to throw away an entire bike just for brakes. Somewhere online I saw a recommendation for the Avid Speed Dial 7 brake levers to use for small hands. 

What is cool is the lever can be adjusted to bring it close to the handlebar. Also, the really neat part is the red dial that adjusts the tension of the pull. 

I ordered a set of levers and also added a set of Avid SD-5 caliper brakes to replace the OEM gear. I was able to dial in a good tension setting and set the levers to a short spacing. The result was a huge improvement in braking for my daughter. The best part was she is much more comfortable on the bike to the point we can ride out in the street safely. For $50 this was a really great investment.