My main bike (2016 Trek Verve 3) has a 3x8 gear setup - 3 sprockets on the front (28t, 38t, 48t) and an 8-speed cassette on the back (11t-32t). I never, ever change the front one; it’s always on the 38t (middle) sprocket. I am not looking for an explanation on why I am a terrible person for riding like this. 
It is my personal preference - I ride very casually and have more than enough range with the cassette in the back with that single centre chainring up front.
I’ve been reading about this recent obsession with “1x” (One By) setups and I like the idea of just removing the larger and smaller sprockets, front derailleur, and front shifter from the handlebars. Just looks so nice and clean.
Has anyone done this to a "regular" bike, or can see any downsides? The one I’m thinking of is: do I need to switch the chainring I’ll be leaving on to a “narrow-wide” one, to grip the chain a little better now that the front derailleur will be gone and won’t provide any guidance? The chainrings that are on my bike right now likely have a tooth profile designed to make it easy for the chain to slip off and move from one ring to another, which is something I would not want happening if I removed the larger and smaller ones and the derailleur.
I might also drop down to 36t from 38t. When I am riding and always have it in that middle chain ring up front I sometimes wish I had an ever-so-slightly larger ratio staring out (i.e., fewer teeth up front), but I’m never maxed out at top speed wishing I wasn’t spinning so fast (meaning I have no desire to go any larger up front).
The bike show is coming up and I’m just making a shopping list of all the bits I want to get. Already settled on Shimano SL-M310 shifters to replace the crappy all-in-one EZ Fire my bike came with (my other bike has true Shimano RapidFire shifters and the difference is remarkable).
Thanks!
It is my personal preference - I ride very casually and have more than enough range with the cassette in the back with that single centre chainring up front.I’ve been reading about this recent obsession with “1x” (One By) setups and I like the idea of just removing the larger and smaller sprockets, front derailleur, and front shifter from the handlebars. Just looks so nice and clean.
Has anyone done this to a "regular" bike, or can see any downsides? The one I’m thinking of is: do I need to switch the chainring I’ll be leaving on to a “narrow-wide” one, to grip the chain a little better now that the front derailleur will be gone and won’t provide any guidance? The chainrings that are on my bike right now likely have a tooth profile designed to make it easy for the chain to slip off and move from one ring to another, which is something I would not want happening if I removed the larger and smaller ones and the derailleur.
I might also drop down to 36t from 38t. When I am riding and always have it in that middle chain ring up front I sometimes wish I had an ever-so-slightly larger ratio staring out (i.e., fewer teeth up front), but I’m never maxed out at top speed wishing I wasn’t spinning so fast (meaning I have no desire to go any larger up front).
The bike show is coming up and I’m just making a shopping list of all the bits I want to get. Already settled on Shimano SL-M310 shifters to replace the crappy all-in-one EZ Fire my bike came with (my other bike has true Shimano RapidFire shifters and the difference is remarkable).
Thanks!