I’m embarking on a tour in Europe and I wondered on your thoughts on what would be best regarding mechanical disc brakes or hydraulic disc brakes. Does it really matter that much?
Thanks for all your answers. Learnt a ton!
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First, OP I want to welcome you into the wonderful world of touring, regardless of what you buy, good luck to you, both are good options in my opinion!
I had a MTB with hydro discs, brand new. One year later, they were due for replacement, ridden in severe off-road conditions.
On my hydraulic mechanical brakes(Magura), I have this bike for about two years now, have ridden the hell out of it and all I had to do so far was pump the tires and keep the chain lubed, no maintenance needed for the brakes so far, with the original pads still in there.
Maybe in a year I will have to change those. They perform on the same level or similar as my mtb hydros, while being very reliable and bullet proof so far. For touring I would go with mechanical hydros for the simplicity in maintenance and optimal stopping power. The magura hydros are a closed system, no bleeding needed, you only need to change pads once in a while.
Here's my a pic of my setup, hope it helps.
