VegasTriker

With the advent of Youtube, there is probably not any maintenance issue that isn't explained in detail including how to bleed disc brakes. How often you need to perform them may depend upon the quality of the brake. I had Hope C2 hydraulic brakes on a 2001 recumbent trike. Over the years and many thousands of miles I rode it, most years only required tweaking the reservoir setting to adjust for expansion of the fluid with changes in temperature. A few years ago I replaced the seals but that was it for repairs other than replacing pads. The other two mechanical disc sets I used (Shimano 525 and Avid BB7) are no match for how this set worked. It stopped better than any other brake set I ever used. On the other hand one recumbent trike manufacturer uses 3rd world Alhonga brakes where you can buy a complete set of hydraulics for $75 or mechanical (their choice) for $36. I wouldn't expect these to work as well or last as long as the Hope brakes do (last price when still in production was about $800 a set).