Originally Posted by
icepick_trotsky
I see a lot of commuter bikes set up for a cyclocross-style 1x8 or 1x10 drive train. Is there a reason for this? If you have such a set up, do you like it, or does it limit the bike's utility in other contexts?
I looked at it, for me it was partly utility loss, partly expense, partly style. I'd definitely give it a go if building up a commuting bike from scratch.
Only one of my three bikes, the MTB-beater, uses a cassette. It's the most likely to be used loaded or towing. So I want the nearly 5:1 gear range from the triple.
My Super Sport is generally well thought out as a sport-touring bike, but obsolete, with 27" rims and a 1-piece double crankset and a 5-speed freewheel. Switching to 1x10-speed would basically mean replacing the wheels and the entire drivetrain.
My Paramount is hung up at the moment. I've been enjoying the SS more. I haven't decided what to do with it, but it's most deserving of an expensive makeover. It might do well for me with a 1x10 or so.
I think there's a general lack of matched 1xN brifters. The solutions are mismatched or makeshift or really expensive. It's easier with MTB parts.