As anyone who has learned to ride a bike, or has taught someone to ride a bike can attest, it is downright nerve wracking. When teaching young children to ride, the uneasiness is multiplied tenfold. However, a new Indiegogo campaign can help relieve some of the stress caused by teaching a child how to ride a bike.

This is the MiniBrake. The MiniBrake is a remotely operated brake, that allows parents, guardians, instructors, etc., to bring a bicycle to a smooth stop.

MiniBrake is a remote controlled bike brake for kids – a unique solution that allows parents to actively prevents accidents. With the help of a simple remote controller, parents can intervene and stop their kids in order to avoid bike accidents.¹

This is interesting, but one question immediately pops up: Will the brake cause the bike and the rider to fall over or flip over the handle bars? The founders make sure to answer this question before going into any details about the product:

And we know your first question: no, your kid will not fall over when the brake is applied! We’ve specifically designed the brake to avoid that even if your child is going fast. The brake is applied to the rear wheel, not the front and the brake is applied by putting pressure on that wheel, so it comes to a firm, but safe and smooth stop!²

Installing and using the MiniBrake is incredibly simple. Installing the device on a child’s bicycle is done using only an Allen wrench; the brake can be adjusted to fit nearly any bike. Once installed, the brake is initialized with a remote at a range of up to 50 meters. “When you sense that your child is in danger on the playground, you just press the controller and your child’s bike comes to a safe and smooth stop.”³

The MiniBrake is also loaded with a bunch of additional safety measures:

• On activation, the MiniBrake automatically tests itself for right operation.
• When the batteries run down, the MiniBrake automatically stops the bicycle
• when reaching the 50 meter / 164 feet range, the MiniBrake automatically stops the bicycle
• When anything blocks the signal between the remote controller and the bike, the MiniBrake is automatically applied.
• A moving bike is safely and smoothly stopped approximately within 0,5 metres / 20 inches.⁴

The MiniBrake is currently available as a reward for a $109 ledge on the company’s Indiegogo campaign. Below is a good look at the idea behind the MiniBrake, and the product itself: