Originally Posted by
grumpus
Rim brakes make rims a wear item, replacing them is more hassle than swapping out disc rotors, but we lived with that for a century before modern disc brakes.
Personally, I would never consider the rims on rim-brake bikes a "wear item," any more than a frame or handlebars are wear items, subject to eventually wearing out with use.
In 10 years as a shop mechanic in three California bike shops, not once did a rim come in that had been so worn by rim brakes that it warranted replacement.