Originally Posted by
oren_hershco
My 2 cents: HYDRAULIC disk brakes are truly superior to rim brakes. However, mechanical disk brakes will not necessarily improve your braking performance.
The best method of stopping a vehicle is a hydraulic disk brake. Wherever you see another type of brake, the reason is reduced costs. That's also true for cars and motorcycles. As a result, mechanical disk brakes are usually designed to be 'cheap', rather than 'good'.
I had a bad experience with Avid BB5. They stopped well WHEN they where tuned, but that didn't last very long. Any hydraulic Shimano outperforms them, and is much less hassle to live with.
If your budget is limited, don't stretch it for upgraded brakes. Your comfort during the tour will be influenced much more by other things, as good seat, high quality tires, good waterproof panniers etc.
You are aware that there are hydraulic rim brakes, and that rim brakes are in fact disc brakes?
The modern perception of disc brakes is borrowed heavily from the automotive industry.
The last couple of posts in the other thread sort of highlight the weight penalty for front disc brakes that go beyond the hardware.
That weight difference in forks is a real eye-opener, and you would have to consider whether that 3+ pounds is worth putting into stopping power, or into some other piece of touring equipment that might make life easier on the road.