Recently got my son a bike for Christmas and he hates riding it because the pedals are so difficult for him to rotate. He has a cheap huffy rock it 18inch from Walmart that came fully assembled.
The issue is that the pedals seem to be locking and he has to use all of his force to rotate the pedals. This only happens when he's on the bike. If I flip it the pedals and wheel spin freely but when he sits on it the pedal spins maybe 20% of a full rotation and then hits a brick wall and stops. He's a skinny kid so I don't think its like a weight issue or anything. I'm not too familiar with bikes and I feel like there may be some simple fix that I'm just not familiar with. Anyone have any tips that may help?
Edit: Video
by MikeyyGee124
8 Comments
It was probably assembled incorrectly as Walmart employees aren’t known to be the best when putting together a bike. Can’t really tell much of what’s going on without a video showing it. You could probably take it to a local bike shop in your area, explain the issue and get it taken care of fairly cheap. It’s not unusual for someone to take an issue like this into a local bike shop and walk away without being charged.
without seeing any pictures or videos, it’s going to be hard to diagnose the problem. I think your best bet might be taking it to a local bike shop just to sense check the usual bike building mistakes or issues you may be experiencing.
Loosen the rear axle nuts using a 15mm wrench and slide the rear wheel forward. You may have to loosen the brake arm a bit for the wheel to move. The chain is too tight and your son doesn’t have the leg strength to push the pedals. You don’t have to move it much….1/2 inch or so and it will be a big difference.
Could you get a bike from an actual bike shop?
I have been in the bike trade (mostly mail order for 25 years). I also had a shop for 10 years.
One thing about supermarkets and toy shops that sell bikes is that they don’t generally have anyone passionate about bikes. They only care about shifting units. A decent bike shop will sell a bike appropriate to your child’s size. They will assemble it correctly and will offer a free tune up after a few weeks.
I doubt whether a typical Walmart employee will be able to set the bike up correctly. I also doubt they will do a free tune up after a few weeks.
I am well used to seeing toy shop bikes with gears and brakes that do not work properly, pedals that were loose and damaged the cranks and even forks put on back to front.
Rule of thumb is a 20+ year old bike will be cheaper and better in every way than a brand new wallmart bike.
Does it have a pedal-back brake?
Does it have training wheels? If so, take them off. Teach him to roll, balance and steer first. If he can get his bike rolling first, pedaling will be easier. Assuming there’s not a mechanical problem.
I really think that the gearing might be too strong for him to get full rotations