Madcapsule: you're in Chicago, right? Like us, a lot of crap weather, rough roads? The thing about discs is this: they aren't necessarily 'better' than really good/well set up caliper brakes (e.g. v-brakes) as far as dry weather stopping is concerned, but they really are more consistent in varying weather conditions. Also, re. rim/rotor wear: disc rotors are stainless steel, rims soft aluminum. If you use your bike a lot, you will wear your rims; rotors too, but they take a loooong time to wear (though they can warp!). V-brakes are really good; I happen to think that for an everyday bike discs make a lot of sense. Once set up, they tend to 'just work'. Replacing pads on a disc brake is one h__l uv a lot easier/quicker than replacing v-brake pads, too -- and really not that expensive. But really, it's down to budget and preferences!