How To Brake On A Kick Scooter? (Best Methods)

Kick scooters are the most common rides and are increasingly used for short commuting (to office, university, etc.). Most newcomers find it difficult to slow down a kick scooter and question, “How to brake on a kick scooter?”.If you don’t know how to ride an electric scooter or If you’re one who’s newly started riding the scooter and find it hard to stop it when you confront an unforeseen hurdle. Then you need not worry!

Here in this article, we’ll answer all your queries about scooter brakes like “Do kick scooters have brakes ?” or How to brake on a kick scooter in a safe way?” etc. So let’s get started without wasting any time!

Do Kick Scooters have Brakes?

Yes, almost all kick scooters have some type of brake. The most common types are foot brakes and hand brakes. At the same time, the other possible types are V-brake and Disc brake. All these brakes work differently, but the purpose is the same; yes, you guess well, “to stop the scooter. “ 

Types of Brakes in a Kick Scooter

Before diving into the mechanism of How to brake on a kick scooter? every rider must have the basic knowledge of all 4 types of brakes.

Hand Brake: Hand brakes are the type of brakes that comes with almost all models of kick scooters, even the electric kick scooters. These are smaller than usual bicycle brakes and are the easiest way to stop the ride.

Foot Brake: Foot brake is the least powerful brake system ideal for kids. It stops the ride due to friction applied by the foot to the wheel.

Disc Brake: These’re the most powerful brakes and are ideal for high-speed scootering. These are the most effective types for daily routes with uneven surfaces and downhill slopes.

V-Brake: V brakes are a type of brakes that come only with the big-sized wheels scooter and resemble the common bicycle brakes. These are most effective for adults.

Also Read: How to make a Kick scooter faster.

How to Brake on a Kick Scooter?

Now you’ve got the basic idea about kick scooter brakes; you can master any of these you find comfortable to break off your ride. Some of these may not be available for your scooter; if that is the case, you must try your hand at others to suddenly stop the scooter. Let’s dive deep to explain How to brake on a kick scooter using different techniques.

Method #1: Hand Brake

Hand breaks weren’t available for all scooters a few years back, but with their increasing demand nowadays, these are almost available for different models of all brands. Hand brakes are similar to normal bicycle brakes but are smaller in size. These are the easiest ways to break in an emergency (when a car, wall, or other comes their way). These brakes are located on the handlebar, where the rider can easily pull them off without exerting too much effort.

Method#2: Foot Brake

Foot brakes are the most commonly used method to stop a kick scooter. You can step down on the rear fender and apply pressure when you’re riding the scooter on flat ground with your standing foot on the deck and your other foot kicking the scooter. The pressure will cause friction in the rear wheel resulting in slowing down or stopping it. 

It’s the easiest way to brake when necessary. All types of kick scooters, including those with handbrakes, can use this brake system. If you use this method regularly, it’ll result in wearing out of the rear fender, and the brake part you push will be broken more quickly. This method is recommended only when you’re riding at a slower speed. For speeds higher than 2 MPH, try any other method, as sudden friction in the rear wheel at high speed may result in falling off the scooter. Whenever your scooter is in motion, and there’s no need for further push, always put one foot covering the brake.

Method#3: V Brake

Many models of kick scooters come with V-brakes on the rear and front wheels. Adult commuters must consider this braking method as this’s relatively powerful and easy. These brakes only come with big wheel scooters favorable for long commutes.

Method#4: Disc Brake 

If you ride faster, then select the scooter with disc brakes. Disc brakes are the best options for high-speed daily routes or going downhill. Practicing it at a slower pace will help you acclimate to it since it’s powerful, and you can fall off if you start at high speeds.

Method#5: Foot Rubbing

Foot rubbing is also the best technique for beginners. Here the riders rub their feet against the ground while moving at slower or medium speeds. Avoid stopping your ride with this method at higher speeds, as it’s a good chance that you’ll lose your balance, and it can also result in wearing out your shoes or causing foot injury.

What’re the Most Favorable Brakes?

Hand brakes and foot brakes are recommended methods for braking on a scooter. Do you want to know why? Below is a complete discussion of their Pros and Cons.

Benefits of Using Foot Brake

Foot brake (also known as rear fender step-over or rear fender) is the traditional brake setup for all kick scooters. It has arrays of advantages over others which are listed below:

• These are installed in almost every kick scooter you buy. So, it’s the first technique that almost all riders learn at an early age. 
• You can easily come to a quick stop when riding on smooth surfaces using this brake.
• The kids should always try this as it’s the easiest way to stop or slow down the ride without losing balance.
• As these are related to the rear wheel so cause no obstruction for the rider. 

Demerits of Foot Brakes

• Foot brakes don’t work well on muddy surfaces.
• These can be slippery in wet conditions (rain or snowfall).

Benefits of Using Hand Brake

If you have the hand brakes installed on your ride, then you must be aware of its benefits, which are listed below:

• These don’t result in loss of balance, no matter what the speed and type of surface you’re riding. It can be the best choice ever when moving in rough terrains.
• For a metropolitan ride, there’s a need for an abrupt pull-over to avoid accidents, and hand brakes come on hand in such a situation.
• If it’s raining and all roads are wet, hand brakes are the safest way to stop the ride without losing balance and fear of falling off.

Demerits of Hand Brakes

• Hand brakes can cause a distraction for the rider due to the related cables around the handlebars.
• The handbrake can sometimes slump forward, proving dangerous for beginners.

FAQs

1- Which side is the front brake on a scooter?

The front brake is on the right side lever in most modern scooters.

2- Which brake is safest to use in a scooter? 

Disc brakes are the safest and ESG-recommended brakes that provide the strongest braking power in all conditions (wet or dry).

3- How do you slow down a scooter?

If you want to slow down your scooter, just gently press the rear fender brakes.

Final Assessment

It’s all about “How to break on a kick scooter.” We hope you’ve found the answer to all your questions about stopping kick scooters. We’ve left no stone unturned to provide all possible techniques. However, all will not work under different conditions, so the ball is in your court to choose and master the one that suits your riding style the most.