Are front derailleurs necessary

[wc1934]

Putting together an old old beater for this crappy NE weather (sand, salt, snow etc). Problem is that I do not have a front derailleur - My silly question (please don't laugh), is do I need one - Obviously I intend to run only in the large chainring, but does the derailleur assist with keeping the chain straight (i.e. will its absence effect the shifting regarding the rear cogs).
I am going to give it a try and see what happens - any thoughts or suggestions will be appreciated.

[Grant McLean]

Depends on your definition of necessary.
The only function it provides beyond shifting is some
protection from the chain bouncing off the ring while you're
coasting if you hit a bump.

-g

[Cat3roadracer]

You don't need a front der, you don't need a rear either. Build up a single speed and enjoy quiet, shift free cycling.

[pakora]

I didn't drop a chain in an entire cross season on a 1x setup that wasn't due to a crash or a fall. I had a bashguard, but I'm pretty sure the chain being shortened to the ideal length was the main thing.

[plugkev]

Definitely not necessary. Maybe tape some styrofoam to the seat tube to catch an inside drop if you need to.

But why the big ring? Short cage rear helps too.

[Louis]

But why the big ring?

Agreed. Unless you're only going to be riding on super-flat terrain, I think you're more likely to want to use the inner ring.

Plus, if you are using the inner ring, you can get an old, worn-out F-der from your LBS (probably free, but I'd insist on giving them $5 for it, or I'd buy a pair of socks) and set it in the correct position with the limit screws.

[esldude]

Quite frankly, with 9 or 10 speed cassettes, a FD is a luxury, but not a necessity. Heck with some folks as evidenced getting by with single speed or fixed gear, more than that is surely enough.

I remember as a kid riding with 3 speed and thinking how lucky I was to have 'gears'.

[oldpotatoe]

Putting together an old old beater for this crappy NE weather (sand, salt, snow etc). Problem is that I do not have a front derailleur - My silly question (please don't laugh), is do I need one - Obviously I intend to run only in the large chainring, but does the derailleur assist with keeping the chain straight (i.e. will its absence effect the shifting regarding the rear cogs).
I am going to give it a try and see what happens - any thoughts or suggestions will be appreciated.

It assists is keeping the chain on the big ring, since you have a spring in the RD, I assume you are going to use that.

If single speed, then you still need a way to get chain tension. Either with chain tensioner or horizontal dropouts.

[spaced_ghost]

cheapy used FD makes a good chaincatcher on 1x setups. if you have cable guides mounted on the DT, you can put the ball end of a shift cable in the chain guide, run it to the FD, and then set the tension to keep the FD where it needs to be to keep the chain on your front ring.

[sjbraun]

I think a 42 tooth chainring and an 11-32 cassette would get me just about anywhere I need to go.

[FlashUNC]

Ask David Millar.

[oldpotatoe]

Ask David Millar.

THAT's the guy I was trying to remember...what, to save weight or some such balderdash?..on a TT, no bumps, probably HUGE big ring. Like Tyler's wrench, who took 2 of the 4 pawls out of a rear wheel, to save weight and the stinkin hub failed?/

Yeegads.

[FlashUNC]

THAT's the guy I was trying to remember...what, to save weight or some such balderdash?..on a TT, no bumps, probably HUGE big ring. Like Tyler's wrench, who took 2 of the 4 pawls out of a rear wheel, to save weight and the stinkin hub failed?/

Yeegads.

David's retelling of that disastrous TT in his autobiography is just amazing. Cofidis employed what sounded like the dumbest wrenches in Europe.

[oldpotatoe]

David's retelling of that disastrous TT in his autobiography is just amazing. Cofidis employed what sounded like the dumbest wrenches in Europe.

well, they were french...

[Dave Wages]

I had a city beater bike back in the day set up with a 1x8 and I can say it works fine 95% of the time, but that one time when you drop your chain is inevitably when you're in the middle of a busy intersection, and then you're screwed...

IMO, a cheapy front derailleur or chain watcher is really cheap life insurance.

Cheers,
Dave

[christian]

IMO, a cheapy front derailleur or chain watcher is really cheap life insurance.
And the best chain watcher is a cheapy front derailleur.

[sg8357]

Get a cool front derailleur, no cables.

[Hindmost]

Back-in-the-day there I remember that a guy that raced the old 2x5 10 speed without a FD. He reached down and with his hand placed the chain from one chainring to the other and completed the shift with gentle pedalling.

Got to have a clean chain though.