MTB's without front derailleur, When/Why?

[T4tomo]

Weight and cost certainly isn’t a strong argument for 1X.

I would agree, I have a 1X10 on my gravel bike so can run regularly priced cassettes (38 x 11-34). Its set up as 1X with a bar end shifter running TPR hylex hydro brakes as a cheaper way to have drop bar hydro brakes (as TPR don't do a brifter) vs Shimano SRAM Campag hydro gravel offerings.

it could of course easily be run as 2X10 with a LH bar end shifter too....

.....drifting OT given the "MTB" in the title

 

[Smokin Joe]

Elisa Longo Borghini managed to win Saturday's edition of Paris - Roubaix with a single chainring setup, so they can't be all that bad.

 

[matticus]

Elisa Longo Borghini managed to win Saturday's edition of Paris - Roubaix with a single chainring setup, so they can't be all that bad.

Hilly parcours, was it?

 

[Smokin Joe]

Hilly parcours, was it?

That's the whole point, it's horses for courses and not every ride encompasses a mountain range. When I wore a younger man's clothes I raced a few times in hilly Kent on 52/42 with a 14-21 five speed block, more or less standard back then even in the pro ranks. A modern 12 speed setup with a 50t chainring and an 11-27 cassette will give both a higher top gear and a lower bottom than I had then, plus two extra gears.

 

[simongt]

We were on holiday in Tunisia in 2000 and noticed a lot of budget MTBs about, but nearly all had the rear mech removed - !

 

[matticus]

That's the whole point, it's horses for courses and not every ride encompasses a mountain range. When I wore a younger man's clothes I raced a few times in hilly Kent on 52/42 with a 14-21 five speed block, more or less standard back then even in the pro ranks. A modern 12 speed setup with a 50t chainring and an 11-27 cassette will give both a higher top gear and a lower bottom than I had then, plus two extra gears.

Indeed!

(although also worth pointing out that a road-race team went bust last year (or 2020?) after a season of having a 1x groupset forced on them.

ok, ok, ... that's not why they went bust :P )