Originally Posted by
Polaris OBark
Hydraulic brakes >> tubeless.
Hydraulic brakes will fundamentally improve your ride, your confidence, and lower your life insurance premium by thousands of dollars per year.
If you already have tubeless-compatible rims, it is an easy and inexpensive "upgrade" anyway, but unless you are pinch-flatting all the time, it isn't going to be as life-changing an experience as getting hydraulic brakes (assuming they are Shimano and not SRAM).
I figured as much. The difference is surely more significant for a heavy rider like me. My stock wheel set isn’t tubeless compatible and I would want to get something $400 to make the upgrade significant. I’ll probably just ride tubes until I get another bike down the line. Thanks for the advice!
is there a point in shimano’s brake lineup where the upgrades are diminishing returns? Deore or Xt maybe? I know they have a off road and road lineup. I’m not too knowledgeable on the specifics of their brake hierarchy.