Originally Posted by
amedias
This indicates to me that you live in an area where you don't either don't have abrasive conditions, or very flat, or both?
The longest I've ever got a pair of year round commuter rims to last is about 12,000 miles, and that was a pair of very thick heavy rims, half that on something like and Open Pro/Sport is not unusual.
It may very well be overblown for you, but for other people it is a genuine issue and as you rightly say, has always been.
Actually, it's rolling terrain with lots of hard stops owing to dense traffic. But I'll take your figure, and say that 12,000 miles is more than most people get before some other cause of wheel death. Many in the NYC area would be thrilled to get 12,000 miles before theft solved the rim wear issue.
But, I never said that rim wear isn't an issue for anybody. Just that it's not one for most.
At the same time an economic analysis calls for comparing both alternatives. It's not like disc brake systems go forever without service, including replacing pucks and discs, and bleeding lines. If one doesn't do his own work, this can be meaningful dough, cutting into any difference in operating costs.