@nothingfuture
I feel like this is the crux of the issue: while rim brakes are just as capable of locking up the wheel as disks, disks give better modulation—they're easier to use without locking them up, particularly in the wet, or on older wheels that have seen some bumps. You don't have to keep your wheels as precisely true—I've been riding on a back wheel with a broken spoke for a month now because I'm too lazy to fix it, but with disks it's not an issue.
Another thing in their favour, particularly for time-poor commuters like me is that apart from replacing the pads, hydraulic disc brakes are maintenance-free. I wish I could get back the time I've spent adjusting, tightening, loosening, lubricating, and repairing my rim brakes and tweaking spoke tension to stop the wheel rubbing. But the hydraulics have been set-and forget.
@LabSpokane
If you are talking about the average rider, they take their bike to the shop to get the pads replaced, but only at the point where they are making grinding noises or not working properly. Hydraulic discs self-adjust through the life of the pad, so they stay close to as-new performance right up until they're almost completely worn out, while rim or cable discs require constant adjustment to stay at optimum performance. @nothingfuture@hughtaylorscifi@v_perjorative@cycling@mastobikes