1x on 2x crankset?

[bjf]

I'm building up a flat bar bike to ride with a friend at a local event this Sunday. It's not really a ride -- more of a street event with bikes. Almost totally flat roads.

So the problem is, I just realized that the FD I have is too small for the seat tube on this bike. Too late to get a replacement, so I think my options are a) to have no FD at all (I won't need the gears), or b) install a different FD without a cable, to act as a chain catcher. The drivetrain is all SRAM, and the available FD is Shimano; I know it won't work with the shifters I have, but as I said, I don't need it anyway.

Which do you think is better -- no FD, or FD as chain catcher (and probably chain-rubber also, if I need to run up the cassette)?

[sandyrs]

FD as chain catcher if there's no clutch or narrow-wide ring in the system.

[phutterman]

Unless it's new (long arm) Shimano (or a triple, ofc), your FD will probably work at least adequately with the SRAM shifter.

I have an Ultegra 6600 FD on my rain bike with Force shifters and RD and it works great (better, honestly, than the pre-Yaw Force or Rival FD I put on it originally). Took a bit more than ordinary fine tuning to get it pulling all the way out to the high limit and retracting fully to the low limit, but it's been great since.

Edit: I'm talking road components but I would think the same would apply to the flat-bar shifter. Also I think you'd be fine with none on the road, but no harm in putting a dummy one on there centered over the desired chainring.

[Dead Man]

My 1x bike has a 130bcd square taper 600 2x crankset with a 115mm BB to improve chainline (and help clear the 135mm spaced chainstays, but that proved unnecessary for that), and I have a 42t narrow-wide on the small ring side with a bash guard on the big ring side and kept the front der as a chain guide (and in case I want to go back to 2x at some point)... Pretty happy with it. No dropped chains since I did it, meets all my needs

Chainline is an issue that can be rectified with BB length, with crank sets that use BBs with variable length.. Square taper, and all the shimano sets up to (but not including) hollowtech. Don't know about sram tho

The bash guard is pretty slick... Glad I went ahead and swapped out the big ring for it. Keeps the chain from falling off the big side, and keeps it from getting hung up on dirt/obstacles/whatever

[phutterman]

Also for the desired application it doesn't seem like any kind of serious security is needed, plus if it somehow does drop, just put it back on and catch up. I wouldn't overthink it either way.

[oldpotatoe]

I'm building up a flat bar bike to ride with a friend at a local event this Sunday. It's not really a ride -- more of a street event with bikes. Almost totally flat roads.

So the problem is, I just realized that the FD I have is too small for the seat tube on this bike. Too late to get a replacement, so I think my options are a) to have no FD at all (I won't need the gears), or b) install a different FD without a cable, to act as a chain catcher. The drivetrain is all SRAM, and the available FD is Shimano; I know it won't work with the shifters I have, but as I said, I don't need it anyway.

Which do you think is better -- no FD, or FD as chain catcher (and probably chain-rubber also, if I need to run up the cassette)?

First, put the single ring on the inside and if the route isn't way bouncy, don't need a front der as chain keeper. Go commando..:D