Originally Posted by
jralbert
Okay, I'll expose my ignorance here for sure, but: I ride a standard double with a 9-speed cassette, and with the exception of the very steepest climbs (and I live in a reasonably hilly area) I don't feel the need to shift off the big ring - and I am by no means a high-performance cyclist. If I had a couple more cassette gears, I think I'd basically never need the small ring. So: with a wide enough cassette, wouldn't it simplify the drivetrain a lot to run a fixed front ring and remove the front derailleur and shifting assembly altogether? I know there's got to be a good reason why not, I just don't know what that reason is...
There was an infamous 1x10 thread about just that earlier this year. Even I sort of see the appeal of a 42-44t front and an 11-28 or so on the back for commuting and the like. The thing is, front derailleurs are cheap, light, and give you more flexibility, especially since with a 1x10 or 1x11 you'll probably want a chain keeper of some sort. Having the FD also allows your cassette to be tighter, which gives cleaner shifting and better control over cadence.