I'm looking at buying a Trek fx2 - it comes either with V Brakes or for £50 more with Tektro M280 disc brakes - I'm used to adjusting and replacing V brakes so favour those - the the LBS says that the disc brakes give much better braking and need to be maintained much less - however I when I look at reviews for disc brakes the mechanical ones (apart from AVID) don't seem to get good reviews - this would be my round town and cycle track bike

For your use, at moderate speeds in dry, paved conditions...you probably wouldn't see much difference.

Discs are better (imho) when it gets sloppy, wet & nasty. I really like them when I'm offroad in the dirt. They are very progressive in feel & don't howl at you in adverse conditions.

They also don't jack up the rims, either.

I like these Tektro brakes. I have them on my Crosstrail and have very little maintenance to do with them. I have only had to burp them once after 3 years and only due to kids playing around with the brakes. Easy to replace the pads, I like the screw rather than the pin other disc brakes have holding the pads in. Brakes well, or at least for my rails to trails type of riding. Does well through the slopping mess I sometimes go through on the C & O Canal or other trails.

The negative - adds weight to the bike. You have to buy a kit to burp or bleed brakes. These brakes are not meant for major downhill mountain biking. They do well, but are not that strong for going down super steep trails. This is why you see them on hybrids and lower cost mountain bikes.

You can also check Amazon to see the reviews others give for these brakes. They seem positive to me.

If they are mechanical and not hydraulic, no bleeding. I like them.

Cycling is my main mode of transport around town and so I'm out in all weathers, my car can be sat there for two weeks without being used. Also in Cardiff where I live it rains a lot so good brakes are a good idea

Disc brakes are the future, and they are here now - get 'em! MHO

The Tektro 310's seem to work fine but I haven't done any hard braking yet. I'm thinking they will be fine. The 280's should be pretty good too.

The biggest reason I wanted disc is, during the summertime, I love riding in or right after a rain shower.