What should I do with a stiff shifter on Kids Bike?

[Stokes32]

We bought a new Rev 20 this week and the shifter is really stiff.  My son can get it from 1-6, but can't shift into lower gears.  What can we do to fix this? 

I'm also wondering if the hand brake levers can be adjusted so that they are closer to the hand grip?

[REI-AlyS]

Hello there @Stokes32!

Thanks for reaching out to the Community!  

Sorry to hear that you are running into a bit of trouble with the new bike. We do have certified bike technicians available via email to discuss these technical questions. 

Feel free to send them the same message and include any photos that you think might be helpful. They can be reached at cyclinghelp@rei.com. They are making every attempt to connect back with customers in a timely manner. 

[REI-JenK]

@Stokes32 two small additions to @REI-AlyS's advice:

1. We are now offering zero-contact bike services at many of our REI stores around the country - if your store is listed, you can call to set up an appointment and have both of the adjustments you mention made.
2. Moving the brake levers in closer to the hand grip is possible, depending on how close they were initially set. We asked our local REI bike shop to make this adjustment on my son's Rev 20 as well, because his hands were small when we first started him on the bike!

Hope this helps!