Originally Posted by Sci-Fi
Not necessarily. Many MTN bikers swear by disc brakes. Just read the FAQ at mtbr:
One person made this comment
My neighbor road bike has disc brakes and he says he can slow down/stop with a lot less pressure on the levers...even one finger can control the bike braking.
With all that being said, There's nothing wrong with rim brakes and they will do the job at hand and have done so for decades. It all depends on your local riding conditions, whether one would benefit from disc brakes or not. Like anything, what type of brakes one chooses or prefers could come down to a personal choice or weight considerations for the more competitive rider. Personally, I expect that my next road bike will have disc brakes.
Exactly, I doubt 95% of commuters or road bikers encounter conditions where they actually need them. There is just a perceived need because of what you listed above. When in reality rim brakes would work just as good for their riding environment.