On 01/12/2011 23:11, DerbyBoy wrote:
Grandson's bike has a rather fierce front brake which tends to throw him
over the handlebars when he uses it. How can I tame it?

Best is to teach him how to control the brake, and body positioning to
stop him going over. Eg don't just heave on the lever, do brace against
the handlebars, push bodyweight back.

That way if it comes to a problem he'll be able to stop harder than with
a weak front brake.

Shimano do some devices for their drum brakes which essentially puts a
spring in the system to limit the force the rider can exert. Bad idea.

If he's just starting out, you could slacken the brake off, but then in
the wet it won't work at all.