Unramped/singlespeed chainrings help a lot to keep chain on with the teeth been taller. I use that set up with a bash and N Gear jump stop and have never dropped a chain.

It’s always best… Unless you particularly enjoy stopping every few hundred yards to put your chain back on. Also, buy a quality one, they may look ridiculously overpriced but you’ll be thankful when it “just works” which in my experience, the cheap ones don’t do…

Personal Preference totally. I’d suggest anywhere between a 32 and a 36 depending on where you ride, or how strong you are. Any lower and you’d be better off running 2 chainrings, any higher and you need to learn to spin!

Yes, quite a bit. an 11-36 setup gives equally spaced ratios as on an 11-32 9 speed setup, but with the extra lower gear, it affords you a useful amount of extra gear range. About an extra 40% gear spread iirc, 1×10 gives you almost the same ratios overall (in terms of spread) as a 2×9 setup does!

Loads of people use a single ring setup for racing now, it’s very popular amongst amateurs and pro’s alike for XC racing now.

I ran a 1X9 (36/34) for one of the Gorrick Enduro’s and thought I was going to die, legs on fire, seeing stars – the whole 9 yards. On relfection, I loved the simplicity, but didn’t have a big enough range of gears, and wondered why my lower back ached for 10 days afterwards…

Given I ran a 1×9 setup for a while before single speeding the bike without a guide or tesnioner and not loosing the chain once you do not always need a guide. I rode the bike up at Thetford on the single track there so no rocks or freeriding there. Other places and riding styles may necessitate the need for a guide but it is not always essential. I also ran the 1×9 setup with the existing 9 speed ring. Give how easy it is to break a chain and fit a guide and fit a new chain ring I would set up you 1×10 set up take it for a test ride if it comes off head home and fit these two bits when the arrive in the post. No need to spend more than you have to is there.

Or train’s more and harder than most on here and actually races 😉

10% **

Changed to 1×10 last year and love it! Went 36t with 11-36 cassette, if I was trying a different ring size I’d go for a 38, find it a little undergeared on the road, but fine off road.

Only places I found it a bit of a grind this year were Margam, Dalby and Mayhem towards the end of the race in each case, never had to walk, just would have used an easier gear if I’d had one. For casual riding it’s been fine everywhere I’ve been. Like the simplicity, saves weight, saves money, chain wears less!

I use a Superstar guide like the above, with a bodged seat tube mount as I’ve got a press-fit BB and they didn’t do a proper seat tube mounted one when I bought mine.

I went 1×9 last autumn and love it – so simple and it’s made me a better rider, both in pedalling and technique terms. Bash ring, N-gear jump stop, medium cage mech and shortened chain. 32t 11-34. About to offload this transmission to my spare (aka wife’s) bike and 1×10 my Soul. I ride it pretty hard and off reasonably sized drops and have never dropped the chain so maybe that’s less of an issue on a hardtail?

Njee, what cadence are you comfortable maintaining when racing and what do you spin up to when sprinting? I have the strength to haul 32-34 up pretty much anything but too much excess mass to go higher geared!