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Old 11-23-22, 01:22 PM
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ClydeClydeson
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First, there's really nothing wrong with kids' bikes from box stores, as long as a knowledgeable person takes the time to set it up correctly. Kids bikes are generally massively overbuilt in most regards, and they will be outgrown in a year or two, usually long before the bike is worn out or otherwise ruined.

When installing a single pivot caliper brake, you need to ensure it is as close to perfectly centered as possible when not being activated. There is a 10mm nut on the back of the mounting bolt that attaches the caliper to the frame, and you can loosen this nut, pivot the whole caliper in the direction opposite to that in which it sticks, then tighten the bolt. It's not rocket surgery, but it might take a few attempts before you get it right. Also make sure the brake cable isn't positioned such that it is pulling the brake excessively as this can make centering more complicated.

Another trick for kids' bikes is to slightly bend the spring in on both sides to reduce the preload and make the brake easier to actuate for small hands.
There may also be a tiny screw on the brake lever that pre-sets the lever blade inward to allow easier reach for small hands. THese won't make the brake caliper imbalance better (might actually aggravate it) but once everything is set up, make for a more pleasant ride for the young person.

Here is a sketch of the caliper showing the location of the nut for centering (red arrow, pointing to the nut on the BACK of the caliper against the brake bridge of the frame) and of the bending that can be done to the spring. You likely need to 'unhook' the ends of the spring from the arms of the caliper to bend it, and it's a bit tricky... it's also not 100% necessary, but worth a try, in my opinion.
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