Wolf Tooth Introduce 44 Gram Chainguide

The mountain bike drivetrain world has seen more changes in the past five years than we’ve witnessed throughout its entire existence. Sure, there have been some irritating new standards, but for the most part modern drivetrains are a helluva lot better than the 7-Speed friction shifting most of us started on. Of course the big movement has been to minimise shifting up front, and thanks to single-ring advancements such as the SRAM XX-1 & X0-1 Eagle groupsets, 1x drivetrains are no longer just for minimalists and those with thunder-thighs. Nowadays you’ve got plenty of options to boost your range out back and ditch the front derailleur. Shimano have added an 11-46t cassette for their 11-speed mountain bike drivetrains, and for those rocking 10-speed, you could always elect for a wide-range cassette like the 11-40t option from Praxis Works. Well, unless you’re Sanny and you think 1x drivetrains suck…

Anywho, back to technology. So yes, there are lots of you out there running a 1x setup. But even if you’re utilising a narrow-wide chainring and a clutch rear derailleur, chances are that there’ll still be some kind awkward on-trail scenario where your chain wishes to eject itself from its home. And that ain’t good for nobody.

Hailing from Minnesota in the US, Wolf Tooth Components, LLC are manufacturers of a variety of different drivetrain solutions, though it’s their narrow-wide DropStop chainrings that they’re best known for. Despite the confidence they have in the narrow-wide chainring profile, Wolf Tooth recognised that there was a need for a little extra chain retention security, and particularly for those riders who enjoy dancing with gravity. As such, they have just released their brand new compact chain guide, the GnarWolf.

The GnarWolf is currently available to fit frames with ISCG-05 mounts, but direct-mount options are on the way too.

Machined from 7075-T6 alloy, the GnarWolf is a superlight chain guide designed to enclose the top of your chainring, drastically reducing the chain of a chain bouncing up and off the teeth. At 44-grams, it’s superlight, and there is heaps of adjustability for getting it setup for drag-free performance.

CNC machined 7075-T6 aluminum with stainless steel hardware.
No shims needed for chainline adjustment. Expanding elliptical mandrel system allows perfect chainline alignment and takes just seconds to set. This is the fastest and easiest chain guide to setup.
More rigid than competing products. A flexible chain guide simply cannot effectively guide the chain.
Independent adjustment of height and chainline with cage pivot for chain removal. All adjustments made quickly with 4mm hex key.
Optimized for use with elliptical/oval chainrings.
Accommodates chainline from approximately 48 mm to 54 mm for use with standard and Boost bikes.
Easy installation without removing crank arms.
Patent pending design.
Customized Wolf Tooth bolt color options.
Designed and made in Savage, MN USA
Claimed weight: 44 grams