Originally Posted by
WalksOn2Wheels
I already have the rest of the group, so hydro brakes weren't really a consideration, but I know those would be way better, especially Shimano hydro brakes with feel better and are generally quiet. I haven't looked into the mechanically operated hydro brakes in a while, so I don't know how those are.
What mechanical brakes do you have? You mentioned they get noisy? That would drive me out of my mind.
I have hydraulic Shimano Alfines on one bike and mechanical Avid BB7s on another. Both have slight chatter but no real noise. I would not say the hydraulics are any better stopping power but the pull is lighter and more consistent through the range.
If you don't break in disc brakes properly, they will end up squealing and that is very annoying. You want to spread the material of the brake shoe evenly across the rotor surface to avoid that as you are breaking them in.
Rim brakes will squeal too at times, but the usual culprit there is brakes shoes not tight enough.