Originally Posted by
cyccommute
They have for about 20,000 miles on one bike and about 12,000 miles on another. The key is to pick the proper front derailer. Don't choose one of the fancy expensive Shimano ones. Choose one of the lower end Shimano derailers. They can handle a wider range of gears on the cassette and they work better. The expensive ones are just too clever for their own good.
I am using an old Shimano Deore XT M730 front derailer. Has been on the bike since 1990. I won't be changing that out, because it has shifted reliably for 29 years. But I agree with you that the current higher-end front derailers limit the shifting possibilities. I tried a modern one last year, and it wouldn't shift at all, because I didn't have exactly 10 teeth between rings.