"Not so fast, Liam!" shouts Dad, but Liam (3) rolls towards the road on his balance bike unperturbed. "Brake!", his father gets louder and louder, "Breeemsen!" Many parents of little balance bike enthusiasts are familiar with this situation, even if they are called Emma or have a different name. The problem is that the three-year-olds often ride so far ahead that you can only reach them with a Kambundji-like sprint at best. And to get serious: A child who doesn't brake in time on their balance bike can have a really serious accident.

In search of a solution for such situations, a German father and industrial engineer had an idea: a remote-controlled emergency brake for the balance bike. The principle is as simple as it is clever: a wedge attached to the seat post is released by radio signal, locking the rear wheel. The wheel and the offspring come to an immediate standstill. According to the developers, there have been no crashes in countless tests.The man behind it is Sebastian Lyschick, who quit his job for the idea and found a colleague in Julius Müller during development, with whom he has now launched Mystopy onto the market. The automatic brake block fits the walking bikes from Puky, one of the biggest in the industry. This manufacturer will soon be selling MyStopy as an accessory for its balance bikes.

When will Mystopy be available for pedal bikes?

Wouldn't Mystopy also be a great thing for pedal-powered children's bikes? Because even if they only have to pull the brake lever, sometimes small children don't see the danger or are frightened and unable to react properly. In fact, the two founders have already received inquiries about this and have given it some thought. "On a real bike, however, completely different forces are at work and children reach higher speeds. This makes it more difficult to brake safely," explains Sebastian Lyschick.

Another hurdle is that a bicycle, unlike a balance bike, is subject to road traffic regulations in Germany. "This increases the safety requirements. The fact that a third party can intervene in the child's ride on the bike makes the approval process even more complicated." It should be noted that the current form of Mystopy has been tested several times by the German TÜV and Puky and found to be safe.

So the fear remains that the child on the bike will miss the moment to brake. If Lyschick and Müller find a solution for how Mystopy can also brake larger children's bikes quickly but in a controlled manner, many parents would be relieved of a major worry. Those who have experienced Mystopy on a running bike may have already learned their lesson. Because only the parents can release the brake pad. This is the time to discuss with Emma, Liam and co in which situations they absolutely must brake.

https://mystopy.de