How to Get Your Child's Bike Ready for School

May is National Bike Month, that for all folks suggests that it is the best month of the year. enclosed within the parade of pro-bike celebrations is Bike to highschool Day (this year on might 4), providing an ideal excuse for sport folks to pass down bike love and independence to their offspring, and reverse a tragic trend: in keeping with a 2009 study by the National Center for Safe Routes to highschool, solely thirteen p.c of children ages five through fourteen ride to highschool, compared to forty eight p.c in 1969.

How to Get Your Child's Bike Ready for School

Before you send your kid off to highschool on 2 wheels, you’ll need to form positive their bike is safe to ride. we have a tendency to held with Julianne Idlet of Cycle youngsters and Matthew Tague, a mechanic at Hazard’s Bike look in Santa Barbara, California, for a few recommendation on what to try and do to form positive your child’s bike is road-ready. (Take our fast Bike Maintenance course through RodaleU to be told everything you'll have for this.)

Check tire pressure.

Make sure each tires ar inflated properly before your kid heads off to highschool. If the tires ar too low, it’ll be more durable to pedal the bike. Also, if your kid decides to own some additional fun on the approach and hop off a curb, they might a lot of simply get a flat. “The correct pressure relies on the design of the bike,” says Tague. “If there’s any question, simply offer that tire a spin and appearance for the numbers” written on the sidewalls. As a general rule, the larger the tire, the less pressure needed.

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Clean and oil the chain.

A clean bike could be a happy bike, and a clean chain is integral to the present. betting on wherever your kid rides, all manner of dust will get caught in and dirty their chain, which means parts wear a lot of quickly—and shifting becomes an enormous ordeal. Use a stuff designed for bicycles on the chain and make sure to wipe off excess oil once applying. (Learn a way to do a fast and simple clean 'n lubricate.)

To keep the chain clean—and your kid's consumer goods|vesture|wear|covering|consumer goods} intact—remind your kid to stay clothing further from the bike’s moving components. “Roll up pants to avoid obtaining them caught within the chain,” says Idlet.

Make sure the brakes truly stop the bike.

It ought to be straightforward for your kid to prevent the bike quickly and simply, and achieving this implies finding a pressure 'sweet spot' within the break lever. “If the brake levers ar therefore loose that they are available all the approach back to the bar, they have adjusting,” says Tague. Also, make sure the brakes ar adjusted equally between the rear and therefore the front. “You don’t need the front brake to come back on too sturdy, or your child are going to be going ass-over-tea kettle,” says Tague.

Find the proper saddle height.

If the saddle is just too high, it’ll play a awfully uncomfortable ride. “When they pedal, there ought to be a small squatting,” Idlet says, for a cushty seat height. for fewer veteran riders, you'll need to line the saddle in order that they will reach the bottom simply. betting on the seatpost, you'll be able to use either a metric allen wrench—typically either a four millimeter or five mm—or a customary crescent wrench to form the adjustment.

Tuck in loose backpack straps.

“Make positive backpacks ar on straight and cinched down tight, not swinging loose,” says Idlet. Hanging a significant backpack off one shoulder will create it more durable to balance a motorcycle, particularly for a smaller kid. Extra-long straps can even get caught in wheels and cause a crash. tuck away or cut back any additional straps and check that your child’s backpack fits well.

Teach your child bike maintenance skills!

Help your kid learn to repair their own flats and perform basic maintenance. “It’ll offer them a lot of confidence,” says Tague. “They’ll be able to ride farther and do a lot of on their bikes.” sign on together with your native bike coalition, a motorcycle club, or an area bike look to be told regarding maintenance resources offered to you. you would possibly even notice a mechanic’s clinic in your city.