Originally Posted by
HarborBandS
But front derailleurs are Satan's spawn. You know why.
No, I don’t know why. I don’t consider them to be Satan’s spawn nor all that hard to understand or make work. The principle is the same as the rear and the mechanism works the same. I’ve got about 14 of them in my garage and each one works flawlessly.
I, too, am not going 1x because the range of the triple is far better than anything else that has come along.
Originally Posted by
subgrade
I'd say the deraileur drivetrain works well for road bikes that generally don't deal with agressive riding conditions. That way the advantages, mainly light weight and efficiency, outweigh the shortcomings, such as exposure to elements, which in turn lead to more maintenance work.
And understandably, commuter and "gravity" mountain bikes, where light weight and drivetrain efficiency is not of such importance, are more willing to look into other options which are better protected from environment such as mud, sand, salt, twigs, etc. and physical damage.
Hoarses for courses, as they say.
Sorry but nearly 40 years of mountain bike use says otherwise. Derailers aren’t all that delicate or prone to failure. Yes, they can be damaged but it takes a lot to wear one out.