I personally can understand that someone prefers the feel of hydraulic, or has the need to ride in the rain or mud, in which case the hydraulic discs are an advantage. And I personally can understand that someone prefers the clipless pedals. No argument from me there!

I think American Euchre's point though is that people keep claiming the hydraulic discs stop faster than rim brakes. Not so. In dry conditions, with properly maintained and properly setup brakes, the well-understood principlesof vehicle dynamics show that it doesn't matter whether the brakes are drum, or hydraulic disc, or mechanical rim brakes: if they are capable of achieving wheel lock-up (and indeed they are), then all three of them will offer exactly the same stopping distance. Now the lever feel may be different for all three, but a locked-up tire is a locked-up tire, regardless how it got there.

Again, I personally have no dispute with anybody who says they prefer system A or B or C, as long as they preface their statement with the acknowledgement that it's their preference. And if their riding conditions warrant the tradeoffs of hydraulic discs, then that's a sound decision. But the use of non-scientific claims to support their decision bothers me, as an engineer.

I also would offer my opinion that if someone feels that riding down a hill at high speed in traffic would be unsafe with rim brakes, but they are now perfectly confident at the same high speeds downhill in traffic with the hydraulic disc brakes, they might just be a tad overconfident...