Originally Posted by HardyWeinberg
I hear disc brakes make you stop shorter. Coworker w/ discs has done MAJOR faceplant twice now going over the bars during 'panic stop'.
Before I had discs I went over the bars twice, haven't done it since I got discs.
Any brake should have enough power to lift the rear wheel. If it didn't I would consider it defective. What makes powerful brakes is modulation -- the ability to apply braking right up to the point where the rear wheel lifts, and then back off. This is where discs really shine, the modulation is terrific -- and it stays good, even as the brake pads wear.
A well-adjusted rim brake, on a perfectly true wheel, can also have good modulation. The problem, particularly for commuters, is that it is very easy for a rim brake to go out of adjustment, or for a wheel to go slightly out of true. When I had rim brakes I found that I just didn't adjust them as often as I needed to, and I often was riding with sub-standard brakes.