Originally Posted by
cyccommute
Disc brakes have very little in the way of adjustment. The gap between the pads and the rotor are not adjustable. It is what it is. You can't 'set them up' to change the modulation...something you can do with rim brakes. The only way to control the modulation is in the application of the brake. And, since there is very little movement from completely off to completely on (on the order of a few millimeters), it takes a fine touch indeed for precise control. Too fine for the brakes to have 'superior modulation' if, by modulation, you mean a gradation of brake application.
I can't speak to hydraulics, but the modulation setup for mechanical discs is very simillar to V-brakes - pad selection and brake lever configuration. The Avid Speed Dial series brake levers offer excellent adjustment options.
My wife's hydros do not seem to have any form of adjustment, so pad and rotor choice would influence things to some degree. Nevertheless, the brakes seem to modulate quite well as they are. From the point of pad contact I can modulate just fine. Granted, the amount of input to modulate is much lower - more subtle, but it s still there, and it still takes a willful act to lock thing s up.
It sounds to me like you have plenty of experience to draw from (as many of us do) and from your experiences you've made your choice. Cool. However, consider the possibility that there are folks who have personally experienced modulation with discs. It can actually happen
