Originally Posted by
chaadster
Pfft. I don't think that's a compelling issue. First because if you don't need two chainrings for your commute, why are you worried about shifting the FD? Second, I've ridden for more than 30 years on road bike and MTB through the worst conditions in Michigan and Colorado winters, and find the RD is more likely to foul than the FD, and that when it's cold, nasty, mucky, and grimy, I really do have little to zero need to be jumping between chainrings, especially on a commute.
Most bikes come with a standard or double crankset which, for me, requires shifting the front ring to climb hills. I could climb them in my big ring but it's not pleasant. I have to shift whether its cold and nasty or warm and sunny. My bike with 1x setup came that way and I haven't seen a reason to change. Simpler and less maintenance.
There are some edge cases where having two rings up front is helpful but for 95% of the riding I do I don't have a problem with the 1x. I wouldn't want to do a TT with it but for most riding it's fine. I'm have a pretty high tolerance for cadence changes so bigger jumps don't bother me.