Abstract: A method and device for braking a moving or movable element such as a wheel, particularly in two-wheeled vehicles, where a force is applied to a moving element (5) by at least one frictional element such as a brake pad (30), whereby a compression force is produced acting along a given braking surface (30a) of the pad tending to retard movement of the movable element, so that beginning with a predetermined adjustable threshold value of the compression force controlled by a spring device (16, 17, 20) the surface area of contact between the brake pad and moving element is reduced correspondingly but does not become zero as long as braking is necessary.