Sorcerer

I've read through the entire thread so far and I see the Shimano mechanicals have not been reviewed.

It is good to read about the TRP and Juin brakes, as I have no experience with them apart from some YouTube video viewing.

Most of my rides have hydraulic brakes. Hydraulic brakes are better overall.

​​​​​​I use Shimano mechanicals on a few MTB single speeds and a drop bar commuter bike and a cruiser commute bike.

​​​​​​THe commute bikes receive daily use in traffic, so the brakes are critical. I have found the Shimano mechs to be excellent for years of use. Yes, I do have to squeeze them harder, but it's not ridiculous. There is one red light at the bottom of a hill that sometimes comes on, which requires going from 33mph to zero, and the brakes never flinch.

They are squealers in the rain.

Although, there is one negative failure to report, which years ago now, where one of the calipers somehow "blew up" with the clamping assembly going loose and dysfunctional. This was on the front of a mountain bike doing an extended steep slow technical trials-like descent where the cable strands successively parted and snapped, which was quite dramatic at the time. Had to jump off and let the bike tumble.

Which reminds me, I should replace the cables again soon!

The cables fray at the pivoting arm.

I've used BB-7s before and they are similar to the Shimano overall. I prefer the various finishes on the Shimano brakes for looks. There's the XT looking light grey, and then there's this sort of polished dark version which really looks nice. I know it's superficial, but the red pad adjusters on the BB7 always looked janky to me.

I've only had the long pull, v brake, version of mechanical brakes. The drop bar bike has Cane Creek long pull road levers on it.

In conclusion, I don't like mechanical brakes for serious mountain biking, and I would seek hydraulics on a tandem. We did have Magura Gustav brakes on an MTB tandem, and they were great, but that's another story.