suggest V brake lever?

[nez]

My grandson is five this year and has a little Specialized bike. It has a V front brake but the lever is a bit crude and he can't really use it. Stiff, lacking adjustment for hand-size etc etc. So I wonder if anyone has found the best child friendly V brake lever? Of course there's a million of them on eBay but I don't want to try half of them before I find one that's any good, so would be grateful for suggestions.

[rjb]

Can you post a picture. My grandson has Ridgeback bike which has v brakes.
To get the lever close to the bar involves a screw adjustment on the lever. These can get lost. Tightening this up caused the brake to rub the rim and I couldn't get the lever close enough for his small hands and still get it to work well enough. Part of the problem was the spring loaded power modulator noodle which was meant to stop you applying the brake too vigorously. I replaced this with a conventional noodle which solved the problem. I don't think kids hands are strong enough to pull the lever so tight it sends them over the bars.

[nez]

Can you post a picture. My grandson has Ridgeback bike which has v brakes.
To get the lever close to the bar involves a screw adjustment on the lever. These can get lost. Tightening this up caused the brake to rub the rim and I couldn't get the lever close enough for his small hands and still get it to work well enough. Part of the problem was the spring loaded power modulator noodle which was meant to stop you applying the brake too vigorously. I replaced this with a conventional noodle which solved the problem. I don't think kids hands are strong enough to pull the lever so tight it sends them over the bars.

Thanks. Yes the noodle does look a bit funny and should get some attention. But I would want to replace the lever anyway. It's so poorly made - has a rough bolt and nylon nut to adjust the position of the lever. It's so hard to operate he stops by running into things - bushes, walls, a ditch. If Geraint Thomas had to stop like that he wouldn't ride... oh, hang on a minute.
Unfortunately they live fifteen miles away down a fast road so cycling Grandad visits aren't daily - hence no photo.

[Eyebrox]

I work in a bike shop and we are constantly asked to make braking easier for youngsters. This can involve adjusting the caliper springs, levers, noodles, brake blocks. Often we use a better lever which has parts of a higher quality (cable anchor/tension adjuster/reach control). We generally have odds and ends of brake levers kicking about and charge very little for sorting the problem. You can buy a Shimano Alivio lever for £5-£10 (BL-m420). It'll do the job perfectly.

[nez]

Thanks v much for that advice. I’ll try an Alivio lever - good call.

[531colin]

Just a note that at least some of the smaller Islabikes have smaller diameter handlebars, so their excellent levers may not fit.

[nez]

Thanks Colin. Yes, this is 22mm.

[gregoryoftours]

I'd be inclined to get some levers that are specifically designed for smaller hands, like these ones:

You can see that the levers are shaped such that they are cranked back towards the bar in the resting position. It works better ergonomically than screwing the lever reach all the way in on conventional levers. And I'd agree to replace a modulating noodle with a regular type. Similar available here:
https://www.tredz.co.uk/.Tektro-TS325A- ... uWEALw_wcB
Also available as singles from eBay etc.