Is this a fashion thing? I ask because a kid from my daughter’s class came around the other day on her bike which had both the front and back brakes disconnected. I explained to her how dangerous this was and spent 15 minutes making the bike safe, it was in a right state the rear wheel bearing had about 10mm of side to side play!

She seemed happy enough and she and my daughter spent the afternoon racing round our street. Later on I saw her and her older brothers bike parked up outside the local shop, the brakes on both bikes had been disconnected again.

Would you have intervened?

Nope,

I’ve seen kids/youths/all day canned beer drinkers riding like this for years. After the recent court case I’m expecting draconian new laws to keep these murderers off the road.

So long as they are below the age of legal responsibility let darwin sort it out

(ducks and runs)

Depends on the kids to be honest

If I knew them I’d probably ask em, might just be unbelievably poor maintenance

used to occasionally intervene with the kids mates, most often its just because its easier to disconnect the rubbing brakes than adjust or straighten the wheel on the BSO

kids don’t care anyway, teach em and leave em to it.

Maybe the brother doesn’t like his sister very much?

it was in a right state the rear wheel bearing had about 10mm of side to side play!

This is why.

I have spoken to parents and so few have any idea of basic bike maintenance – some could not even work out how to clip noodle/cable through the v-brake one day after it disconnected. You then get a brake rubbing or similar, and they just unclip it….

Anyone who does schools cycling work *knows*….

What’s the deal with you. OP?
Can fix bicycles.
Can’t do communication without a keyboard?

I wasn’t allowed to do my cycling proficiency test when I was a kid because my BMX didn’t have any brakes. I just used to stick my foot on the back wheel!!

I’m 41 now so that was a loooong time ago…