If your child is often on the bike, things will eventually come loose, bend or break. Completely normal. Children's bikes go through a lot: curbs, bike posts, muddy rides, autumn leaves in the chain, you know the drill. And no matter how good your bike is, there are a few complaints that almost everyone encounters at some point. Fortunately, you can solve many of them yourself, without a bike repairman or a toolbox that is half a meter wide.
The chain keeps coming off
This is perhaps the most frustrating problem: just when your child wants to cycle away, the chain falls off again. Usually this is because the chain is too loose. This happens automatically through use, especially with bicycles without gears.
You can solve this by pulling the rear wheel back a little bit, so that the chain is tighter. Turn the bike upside down, loosen the nuts of the rear wheel, pull the wheel back a little and tighten it again. Test whether the chain can still move up and down a little (about 1 to 2 cm). Too tight is also not good, then everything wears out faster.
Brakes not working properly (or squeaking)
Also common: your child has to squeeze the entire handle to brake, or the brakes squeal at every traffic light. Often the brakes are not adjusted properly, or the brake pads are worn.
You can tighten the brakes by turning the knob at the handle, or if that is not enough: tighten the cable at the wheel itself a little. Squeaking is usually caused by the brake pads not touching the wheel straight, or being dirty. A little cleaning or adjusting it properly usually helps.
The steering wheel is crooked
Your child has fallen or hit a pole and since then the handlebars are crooked. If the wheel is straight but the handlebars are not, you need to re-align the handlebars.
Straighten the bike, loosen the bolt on top of the handlebars (under the cap), straighten the handlebars in relation to the front wheel and tighten the bolt firmly again. Works quickly and easily and the bike immediately steers a lot more pleasantly.
The pedals do not creak or move smoothly
A creaking sound when pedaling can be caused by dirt or rust between the bottom bracket and the pedals. Or the pedal is a bit loose.
Turn the side of the pedal with a wrench to feel if it is properly secured. If it continues to creak, a drop of oil at the rotating parts can also help. Sometimes it is just sand or mud children are not afraid of a little adventure.
The bike creaks everywhere
Creaking noises can also come from the saddle, handlebars, luggage rack or even the stand. If something is loose, it often starts to creak. Check by hand whether everything is properly secured. Tighten the saddle a little, straighten the stand, tighten the screws a little — it is often solved that way.
Or you let us do it
Sometimes you don't have the time or the inclination to mess around with tools — that's perfectly fine. In that case, you can easily submit a repair request via your BikeFlip portal. Then one of our Flippers will simply come by and fix it.
Don't have a children's bike subscription yet ? Then this might be the right time. Your child will always have a suitable bike that works well, and you won't have to worry about anything. No hassle with brakes, chains or squeaky pedals — we'll take care of it.
