I'm thinking about disc brakes myself lately. I've read opinions that they can be finnicky (always seem to be rubbing, etc) but I don't own any. I've kind considered them as "only needed for extreme down hill situations" which is not typical (especially around here). I'd be concerned about simple maintenance on the road. I want to be able to fix anything while on a long trip. I don't think I see disc brakes on randoneuring bikes or long distance touring builds as much as I see canti brakes. I would be interested in other's opinions about maintainability and reliability over long distance rides.