I am still a bit new to the technical terminology of bikes- What are the lugs? Are those the treads?
I understand the importance of a front brake when braking while heading straight, but while turning; always equals disaster for me. Maybe there is a trick? I never seem to have a problem with braking with my rear brake. When I have both attached- I always find myself only using the rear- which is why I have to replace my rear pads more than the front. I have never found a need for a front brake.
As for the front derailleur/ grip shifter. My cable blew out and instead of replacing the cable, I just decided to cut it off. Now I have less wiring, less metal and less "clutter". I think it looks better and I never need to shift the front gears on the fly. I just manually select the gear if I know what type of riding I will be doing. It is actually pretty awesome. I like it better than having a single front ring because I am not limited to a single ratio. I can switch depending on my urgency and how fast I will want to be able to go.
Thanks!