The brake is primarily responsible for safe cycling, enabling a quick and confident response to (usually) unforeseen road conditions. Some of the first mass-produced brakes featured a thin steel rod that, when pressed against the handlebars, transferred movement to a rubber block that locked the wheel from above. Currently, two basic mechanisms are used. Coaster brakes utilize the drive system to stop the bicycle. Other systems, regardless of the detailed technical solutions, rely on the transfer of the rider's input (colloquially "squeezing" the levers or lever-controllers) through a system of cables (mechanical versions, appropriate cables in hydraulic versions) to a device that locks the wheel. In the caliper version, the wheel rim is locked; in the drum system, the friction linings operate inside the drum; and in the disc version, the brake pads lock discs mounted directly to the hub. Due to their cost and ease of installation and maintenance, caliper systems are commonly used in bicycles: V-brakes, calipers, or cantilevers. Disc calipers are standard on higher-end bikes. V-brakes are the basic brake found on almost every MTB and trekking bike. Caliper is a road caliper system with semicircular arms mounted on a central axle. In our store, you'll only find calipers with a dual-pivot system, which provide greater stopping power than traditional road brakes. When choosing brakes, remember that they vary in their adjustment range, which in turn depends on the bike's clearance (the distance between the brake mount and the wheel). Cantilever brakes are a type of brake found on some retro MTB bikes and older cyclocross bikes called CX. Due to their design, they are significantly more resistant to dirt (mud, sand), but they don't offer as much stopping power as traditional brakes (Caliper). Disc brakes are divided into mechanical and hydraulic brakes based on how they transfer motion to the lever. Both types are now very popular and, in addition to MTBs, can now be found on cyclocross, road bikes and even some single speed bikes.
