>>1155801I like disc brakes because they do not erode the rim, they use more sensical friction surfaces (steel > aluminum and carbon for friction and heat tolerance), they don't get fucked up by a puddle with grit in it, the entire assembly can be replaced easily vs. an entire rim, and the mechanical advantage of hydraulic brakes is excellent compred to cables.
This is all very important in MTB. Long descents are hard on my hands and arms as it is, and enormous brake force makes controlling the bike even harder and my hands exhausted which really slows down descents. Also, the pads on my '01 XTC with rims wear super fast, whereas my '09 anthem with rimmies still has an original disk and is only on its second pad set (cracked one disk overheating it then riding thru a cold creek during a collegiate race).
I have rimmies on my road bike. But I dislike how much force I must apply especially on long descents. They also wear fast, and altho it hasn't happened to me, my 220 lb friend and I were riding down a long descent and he overheated his rim brakes causing his tire to pop. I think it either overpressured or melted the tube from all the rim heat.
I'm nit saying disks are perfect. Mine are always getting bemt slightly and rubbing a bit, and hydraulics can be a pain (but there are cable disk brake systems that work fine). But, if I knock a wheel out of true, it doesn't fuck my braking. Add on to that, i have a lot more freedom of tire choice.
I think that unlike in mtb, rim will remain competitive in road, but disk will have an equal market share when things balance out.
