Originally Posted by
Shay Howe
This ticks all the boxes- comfort saddle, more upright bars for my worn old 54 year back, and yes- those discs I'm fixated on. I hear and grasp all the potential issues and can see the cost difference clearly. (No mechanical option, only hydraulic? Poo.)
Hydraulic disc brakes are generally the better option, unless you're touring and need to be sure everything on your bike can be easily fixed roadside. Some people will say hydraulics require a lot of messy maintenance, which just isn't true in my experience - they're virtually maintenace free. Brake pad change is a very simple job, done in minutes; caliper alignment is perhaps the easiest of all brake types; slightly warped discs can be trued by hand. The only potentially messy part is the bleeding, which is also a fairly straightforward process with the right tools and shouldn't be required more often than once a year or two.
Even the low end hydraulic brakes by reputed brands (Shimano, Tektro, etc.) work well and offer great stopping power and modulation. Now that I'm used to one finger braking, I'm not going back to anything else.