Originally Posted by
gsa103
Hydraulic disks allow you to run much closer to the traction edge than rim brakes. The brakes respond faster and with less force, so properly modulated you can stop significantly shorter in tricky situations, like wet and loose dirt. That's the reason that mountain bikes have moved exclusively to hydraulic discs. Disc brakes are also less sensitive to rim damage which can cause grabbing.
GCN recently did a direct comparison between rim & hydraulic discs for road/gravel bikes. In dry conditions, the performance was identical, disc showed an advantage in the rain and huge advantage in loose gravel. If your experience is mostly routine riding on paved roads, the differences are marginal.
Paved roads all year long - no problems.
Off road - dry, or slightly damp - no deep mud and not often in the rain.
Hydraulic disc brakes are the best there are. However- they add weight, complicated servicing, cost more, put stress on the rest of the bike, front one has a tendency to pull the wheel out of the fork.
So when I add pros and cons, I stick with V-brakes for MTB and regular rim brake calipers for road bike. They have given me good enough stopping power. If I rode a lot of off road hilly terrain in the rain, I'd go for hydraulic disc. Perhaps even for a lot of paved hills in the rain and poor weather.