Front derailleurs are just too good

By Simon von Bromley

Published: Friday, 28 April 2023 at 12:00 am


With several teams and riders using single-chainring setups during this year’s Spring Classics, 1x drivetrains for road bikes are back in the conversation again.

While 1x setups do have their advantages in certain scenarios, and new hub gear tech is a potential game-changer, a 1x revolution on road bikes still feels a long way off.

In my opinion, front derailleurs are just too good these days and, for the most part, what you gain from ditching them on a road bike doesn’t outweigh the drawbacks.