Originally Posted by
spinninwheels
Plus, it saves my rims. The [rim] brakes are hell on your rims in wet conditions. I would normally be changing rims about every year and a half (front and back) otherwise.
My experience is that rear rims fail from rim brake wear much sooner than fronts even though the fronts have much more stopping power and are (or should be) used more. I believe it's because the front rims live in a cleaner environment but they throw road grit and spray up onto the rear rim which lives in a much more abrasive world. So a rear canti or V-brake will cause rim wear on the most vulnerable rim.