Took me two years to admit hydraulic disc brakes are worth the hassle
I was dead set against hydraulic disc brakes on my touring bike for the longest time. I had a bad experience with a set that froze up on a cold morning ride outside Denver back in 2021, and I swore I'd stick with mechanical calipers. Then my buddy let me borrow his Surly with Shimano MT200s for a weekend trip through the foothills last spring. Coming down a steep gravel descent in the rain, I barely had to squeeze the levers and I stopped dead smooth without any chatter or cable stretch. That one ride, especially that wet descent, convinced me hydraulics actually give you way better modulation for loaded touring. I still hate bleeding them, but the stopping power when it matters is just not the same with mechanicals. Has anyone else been converted after swearing off a certain brake type for years?