Bicycle brake
![Animation of a single pivot side-pull caliper brake for the rear wheel of a steel framed road bike.](/Images/godic/202502/07/Bicycle_brakes_-_animated4549.gif")
![Spoon brake on antique Peugeot 'open diamond' frame 'Le Lion model B' at the Batavus Museum in Heerenveen, Netherlands](/Images/godic/202502/07/Bicycle_spoon_brake4549.jpg")
![](/Images/godic/202502/07/Bicycle_spoon_brake_on_1898_Columbia_Model_51_Ladies_Chainless4549.png")
![Aluminium rim worn-out by V-brakes. Outer wall worn through and the wheel dangerously weakened. A disadvantage of rim brakes.](/Images/godic/202502/07/Bicycle_rim_-_worn_out4549.jpg")
A bicycle brake reduces the speed of a bicycle or prevents it from moving. The three main types are: rim brakes, disc brakes, and drum brakes. There have been various types of brakes used throughout history, and several are still in use today.
Most bicycle brake systems consist of three main components: a mechanism for the rider to apply the brakes, such as brake levers or pedals; a mechanism for transmitting that signal, such as Bowden cables, hydraulic hoses, rods, or the bicycle chain; and the brake mechanism itself, a caliper or drum, to press two or more surfaces together in order to convert, via friction, kinetic energy of the bike and rider into thermal energy to be dissipated.