Keep in mind I said, "routinely" riding in the rain and snow. Perhaps I should have said "regularly".

Don't own a car. I ride my bike no matter what Mom Nature and the DPW put on the streets--at least five days a week, 52 weeks a year. From November to April here in Upstate NY, that typically means wet.

The wet makes grit stick to the rims, which turns to grinding paste at every stop. Did I mention I live in the city and sometimes have to stop every tenth to a quarter-mile? I wore out the braking surface on a set of rims in my first winter. That's why my commuter rig has disc brakes.

Occasional wetness isn't an issue, and hasn't been for the hundred years or so that rim brakes have been around. My other bikes have rim brakes. Every now and again playing the odds, the 20% to 40% chance of rain doesn't fall in my favor and I'll have to ride one of them home in the rain. It's no biggie. They stop just fine, even in the wet.

It's the everyday slog through the wet where, IMHO, disc brakes shine. If it weren't for that, I wouldn't own a disc brake bike. But for as long as I have to ride in the wet no matter what, you'll have to pry my disc brake bike from my cold, dead fingers.

Now, if you're honest with yourself and want disc brakes because they look cool, well, they do. That's why they're found on more and more low-end bikes. They look cool and help sell bikes. Knock yourself out.

Truth in posting: On my new wheelset, I ponied up for $90 in rotors alone, strictly because of how they look. They won't stop any better than $10 rotors. But they look cool and apparently, I have too much money.