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Hub Brake
A brake that is incorporated into the hub of a wheel, as opposed to a rim brake.
Hub brakes activated by back-pedaling are called coaster brakes ("back-pedal brakes" in British usage.) Hand-operated hub brakes include disc brakes, drum brakes, and Rollerbrake ®s ®.
Hub brakes have the advantage of being weatherproof, so they work as well in the rain as when they are dry.
Effectiveness of hub brakes varies greatly from one type to another; see the entries about each type. A disc or drum brake is commonly fitted as drag brakes on tandems to avoid the risk of overheating the rims and blowing out tires. See my article on Tandem Brakes. But on the other hand, coaster brakes overheat very quickly on downhill runs.
Disadvantages of hub brakes include greater weight, greater stress on the spokes, and increased difficulty in removing/re-installing the wheel.
