Originally Posted by
elcruxio
For longevity and maintenance reasons I think discs also win. No wear on rims meaning longer wheel life especially if one needs to ride in the rain. I use the front disc almost exclusively when braking so my rear rim is still in very good condition. Still, there is some noticeable wear after three years of active all year riding.
I just realized that I've been using the same rims on my hardtail for something like 10-15 years now. Had to replace rotors, but haven't had to do much other than get new bearings and re-grease the hubs.
IMHO it's not worth fretting over brakes unless you ride mountain bikes, and even then it's only super critical for DH stuff or for people that actually race.