After running 1x10 on my last bike for a few months and being very happy with it, I thought I'd dive straight in on the new machine (Scott Genius 740, 27.5 wheels... thoughts on this for another post). I purchased one of the RaceFace Narrow-Wide single rings that have alternating width teeth, like the XX1 rings, and can be run with 9, 10 or 11 speed and is ideally run with a clutch rear mech - I'm running an X0 Type2.
I have an MRP 1X guide but, rather than slap it straight on, thought I'd try without for the first ride... in short, I'm leaving the chainguide off!
I'll set the tone with a description of my test ground. I live in Innerleithen and ride a mix of trails, but you can be assured that this has been properly tested... including a couple of downhill tracks and loose rocky sections. After a total of 4 hours riding, I didn't drop my chain once!
I'm not saying this will work for all... I'm running 150mm travel front and rear, so that absorbs a good deal of bumps that might have the chain jumping about all over the place on, say, a hardtail. However, it could also be said that a full suss will also come with lengthening and shortening of the chainstay length, as the bike goes through it's travel, that can have a serious impact on the chain and drivetrain performance.
I'm convinced that the clutch mech is doing some of the work and it's hard to know which bit of this system is doing most of the effort to keep the chain on, but as a unit, this works really well. I'd have no hesitation in suggesting people try a Shadow plus, or type 2, mech with one of these rings and go without the guide first to see how you get on.
Don't assume that it's guaranteed to work, but it certainly is for me so far. Will report again when I've got some wear on the chain and ring.
Good stuff.
I'm thinking about going down this route myself due to chainline issues caused by the ISCG05 tabs on my Rune. To get my E13 to work properly, I've had to space the cranks out 2.5mm which is fat from ideal. Therefore I was planning in ditching the full guide, getting a clutch nech, Race Face narrow wide ring and A direct mount top guide. Hopefully this will work and resolve my poor chainline.
Much the same as I've found with the Works one, it is clearly sorcery. Hardtail + fort william world cup route = no chain drops, with no chainguide. Impressed!
Where can you get the raceface ones from? Anyone do them in steel like the on-one stainless?
I rode a Race Face Narrow Wide this weekend on a 29er HT. Day 1 was a standard rear mech, no dropped chains. Clutch mech turned up post-ride, so had two days riding with it, same deal. Massively impressed, I was expecting complete failure beforehand.
Will be interesting to see how it wears.
Gee Budd rode one at the National XC round this weekend, and judging by his raving on Saturday and very respectable result on Sunday, the chain stayed on for him too.
The guy that's been posting about these recently stated that the drop-proofing will deteriorate as the chainring wears - I'll be interested to see how that translates to what people are seeing because obviously if you run with no chain guide, you can guaranty that you'll reach the drop-point at the worst possible moment...
Anyone been using XX1 for a while and run a very worn chainring guideless?
I got mine from Wiggle: [url= http://www.wiggle.co.uk/race-face-single-chainring-narrow-wide/ ]Lots of colour options too - though I went with boring black.[/url]
Yup, I found even just with normal chainring the clutch mech massively reduced the drops, but I would still get the occasional one. Now with the works ring I did my very very best to drop the chain at Stainburn Yesterday. I really did. Nothing.
What are the cheapest version/company of the thick thin rings?
+1,000,000
RF narrow/wide here
no dropped chains now 5 peak rides in, yesterdays 38 miler certiainly testing from start to finish, absolutly no chance of it dropping
ive suddenly acquired a lovely click on my bike but the chain ring performs flawlessly
its pretty mint combined with a clutch, i guess if you live somewhere flat/no rocks then you wouldnt really need a clutch mech TBH
I'm interested too how they are performing once worn - anyone?
Tried a RF Narrow Wide ring at the National XC this weekend at Margam Park. Running it on a hardtail with an XTR clutch mech. Worked perfectly with no chain guide. It was a really rough and bumpy course so it had every chance of falling off.
for the record, I think we've established that unworn narrow-wide rings work brilliantly, particularly with a clutch rear mech 🙂
The question really is what happens once they are worn.
Well, based on the experiences of those running XX1, they continue to work. Its not rocket science or witchcraft. All that is happening is that the alternating chainring teeth are effectively doubling the chain linkto chainring tooth contact, hence doubling the retention over a normal setup. Chainring wear happens in the radial direction and not the lateral direction, espectially with no front mech, so chain wear should not significantly affect chain retention. Time will tell how effective this will be, but even if you have to replace your chainring slightly more frequently than a conventional one, then that has to be a better situation than running a full chain retention device?