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Pedal. A variant mainly used in two-wheeled models (see "Type"). In order to slow down, you need to press the pedals in the opposite direction; braking itself is provided by pads inside the rear hub. Pedal brakes are simple, inexpensive, maintenance free, and reliable enough to make them extremely popular on kids bikes. Their main disadvantage is that when the chain falls off, the bike loses the rear brake; however, the likelihood of this is not so high that this moment is critical.
— Rim mechanical. Brake in the form of a pair of pads, which, by pressing the handle (
manual brake type), are pressed against the wheel rim; the force from the handle is transmitted by mechanical traction in the form of a cable (hence the name). Such brakes, unlike the pedal brakes described above, work even with a broken chain. At the same time, they are more complex, more expensive and require periodic maintenance, which is why they are rare, mainly in fairly advanced models of the older age category.
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Disk. The brake is in the form of a pair of pads, which, by pressing the handle, are pressed against a special disc mounted on the wheel hub. At the same time, the force from the handle to the pads is transmitted through mechanical traction, as in mechanical rims. However, disc brakes are considered more advanced — they are more powerful, more efficient, less sensitive
...to dirt and rim curvature. On the other hand, such systems are more complicated and more expensive than rim systems, which is why they are used extremely rarely — mainly in high-end two-wheeled bicycles of the older age category.
— Trigger sleeve. A kind of brake that combines the features of the two types described above: the pads are located inside the drum in the rear hub (as in pedal ones), however, the braking force on them is transmitted not from the pedals through the chain, but from the handle on the steering wheel through the cable (as in mechanical rims). Due to this, such brakes can be installed on balance bikes (see "Type"), where pedals are absent by definition; in fact, trigger sleeve systems and were created specifically for balance bikes.
— Pedal and rim. Bicycles equipped with both pedal and rim rear brakes. See above for details on each of these varieties; and their combination is used in order to increase the efficiency and safety of braking. So, a bicycle with such equipment is not afraid of a broken chain: the pedal brake will fail, but the rim brake will remain operational. And the simultaneous application of two brakes can be useful for an emergency stop. On the other hand, such a combination significantly affects the price of a bicycle, despite the fact that in fact it is not needed so often. Therefore, this option has not received much distribution.
— Handbook. A type of brake used exclusively on tricycles. It looks like a lever, usually installed on the side of the seat; when this lever is lifted, special stoppers are lowered onto the rear wheels. Note that tricycles are not designed for high speeds, and for braking in them it is enough to slow down the movement of the legs on the pedals. Thus, the handbrake is provided for "just in case" rather than for regular use; in some models, it can be used as a parking.
— Parental. A variant used in the youngest tricycles equipped with a parent handle (see below). In accordance with the name, in such models, the brake is controlled by the parent leading the bike — for example, by pressing a special lever on the parent handle.
