Originally Posted by GearsForFears

Newb question but relevant to this thread I think. I bought my Cross-Check SS without knowing anything about the components - it was all put together by the LBS guy as his own bike before deciding on a move to hilly territory and deciding he needed one with gears. After the first 1,000 miles or so the only component I have an issue with is the Avid Shorty 6 brakes. They are a squeal-o-rama in anything but perfectly dry conditions. And they don't feel that reliable in those conditions either - I mean, they stop the bike, but not as fast and I'm not sure how much loss of performance is acceptable in wet conditions. With the Wisconsin winter approaching I'm contemplating swapping out the brakes. So I'm wondering: is the squealing and some loss of power unavoidable when it's wet? How much would it cost to convert the bike over to a decent set of discs? Or would it be better just to get different rim brakes? I rode Tektros on a test ride not long ago in drizzly weather and for those 10 minutes anyway they seemed an improvement.