Hello, I’m new on here so please bear with me. I have been back riding for approximately 3 years now, I ride a Whyte 901 (which I love) and I am thinking about going 1×9 on the gears. When riding locally, up Gisburn and at Lee/Cragg Quarry I reckon I can get away with it as I generally only use my middle chain ring. My question is, will I feel the weight loss benefit on the bike?…also, would I need a new chain ring or could I just remove the two rings from my chainset that I don’t want to use.
Feedback would be very much appreciated thank you.

Its such a small amount of weight saving especially if you use a chain device that I doubt you will notice.

Its best with an unramped chainring for 1×9

Thanks TandemJeremy, I’m guessing proof will be in the pudding as they say. My bike is on a diet at the moment with a wheel upgrade and going tubeless…

Dunno if you would ‘feel’ the weight loss, but you’ll save about 400 grams if you go with a lightweight bash and chain catcher, rather than a full on DH chain device. I am running with a ramped chainring ok, but unramped I imagine is better. 1×9 feels better, front derailleurs are the work of the devil.

1×9 is great for local runs on your ‘fun’ bike. It can be quite hard work on big all dayers. I’m just back from 4 days riding afan, brechfa and cwmcarn on my mmmbop with 34×11/34. It was perfectly doable but if I’m honest I was wishing I had a granny on the 4th day climbing up Twrch.

i’m a 1×9 fan, doubt you will notice the weight difference, i just like it for its simplicity, less to go wrong and maintain, less to think about, next best thing to SS but with some gears, unramped ring is the way to got, salsa or dmr are decent and cheap

What is the point. I would stick with 3 x 9 unless going single speed.

I use a dedicated SS ring, short rear derailleur and a little chain device on the inside. Haven’t had any chain off’s yet. Coming from a single speed setup it’s been a revelation.

*Note to self* I really must get round to cleaning that chain.

There are many points for 1×9:

About 400g less weight which is significant if your bike is 31lbs before the change.
Greater simplicity; you’re always in the right chainring and it’s therefore easier to get to the gear you really need.
You can run an effective chain guide which is probably the single most valuable attritbute.

Most of the benefits are more likely to be felt by more experienced riders who are more focused on going downhill as quickly as possible, who ride heavier bikes and have a problem keeping their chain on. It’s not for every one though. I think your average trail rider will struggle to feel the benefit especially if they don’t tend to lose their chain when descending and their bike is already sub 27/28lbs.

What is the point. I would stick with 3 x 9 unless going single speed.

Really? You’re kidding right?

Or you planning on converting all the DH and 4X riders in the world single handedly?

The fact of the matter is, no matter how you dress it up and how things progress, the front derailleur is arguably the least effective and most troublesome component on a modern bicycle. They are a very Heath Robinson approach to being able to change between different ratios on the front of a multi geared bike, and they’re a total faff! There are times when a granny ring bail out gear is needed, even for the most manly of us I’m sure, but I’d imagine that for all of us 95% of our riding is done in the middle ring. Ergo, do you really need the big ring and the granny that much? Would you miss them?

Well yes of course you will, but less than you think when it gets down to it.

1×9 is great for local runs on your ‘fun’ bike. It can be quite hard work on big all dayers. I’m just back from 4 days riding afan, brechfa and cwmcarn on my mmmbop with 34×11/34. It was perfectly doable but if I’m honest I was wishing I had a granny on the 4th day climbing up Twrch.

This sums it up quite well for me. If my local trail was up and down Snowdon, I’d probably want to keep the granny anyway, but for most of us riding our local trails, a granny ring never gets used. Any trails within 30 minutes (by car) from my house, I can ride without a granny ring, and as those who know me will testify, I’m a rubbish climber! 1×9, or indeed 1×10, makes a lot of sense for short sharp XC rides, and you’ll see a lot of XC racers have gone down this route too usually with a 36 or a 38T ring up front and an 11-36 10spd cassette out back. If I’m going to be riding in the Welsh Mountains, yes I’m going to take my bike with a full compliment of gears, but for most of my riding a single front ring will do.

EDIT: Oh, and the weight saving thing… You’ll lose maybe 300-400 grammes off the bike if you’re running a lightweight chain device, less if you’re running a full on DH style one. Not massively noticable of course, but it’s a saving nonetheless.

Thanks guys for all the comments, clearly I was right to ask the question as you have given me food for thought. I guess the simplicity of the set up is appealing. I guess there is no harm in trying it as I can always go back if I prefer to. Thanks again everone 🙂

I guess there is no harm in trying it as I can always go back if I prefer to.

And that’s precisely the point.

With an XC chain device, like the Superstar components XCR for only £17, you’ll lose some weight and it won’t break the bank, and so far they seem pretty reliable.

And if you don’t like it, sling your front rings, mech and shifter back on…

Cheers mboy you’ve managed to help me make sense of it…I think I’ll bite the bullet and give it a bash over the next couple of weeks. I’ll let you know how I get on.

You’re not likely to feel any weight difference- though that doesn’t mean it’s not there, just that it’s probably going to be below your level of notice- but there’s other benefits too… Better chain tension, less noise, less chance of chainsuck on a bad day, less cables to gum up/service… Also looks very neat 😉

Also looks very neat

I agree there Northwind…. 😀

I’ve been using 1×9 on my 5spot since feb. Prior to that I’d been doing alot of singlespeeding, and it seems to suit my leg strength. April saw three days riding in Snowdonia with no trouble, and I managed as much of the Snowdon summit as I think is probably doable, unless you’re a trials rider. I’ve also recently managed a decent 40 miler and felt surprisingly good.

I saved a little over a pound, moving from a long cage x0 to short cage, and triggers to a gripshift. Which, when you’re facing the law of diminishing returns on all your other spangly kit is actually pretty substantial.

Oddly, my climbing seems to be better than it was with a triple. Having 1:1 as my best ratio seems to even out the torque spikes during my pedaling cycle and I seem to spin out less on loose and steep stuff.

Overall I like it.
I like

The other thing to think about is whether you are a ‘spinner’ or a ‘grinder’ when it comes to climbing. If you are a spinner (like me) 1×9 probably isn’t for you for proper riding. (by proper I mean all dayers with big hills)

geetee1972

There are many points for 1×9:

About 400g less weight which is significant if your bike is 31lbs before the change.

Personally I think 400 grams (in fact it is 460 grams saving if you don’t add anything) is significant no matter the weight of the bike. As a percentage, the lighter your bike, the more the percentage weight saving it is. Also the lighter the bike, the more you usually have to pay per gram to save weight… and the £1 per gram threshold makes a 460 gram saving worth £460… not bad for free!

geetee1972

Greater simplicity; you’re always in the right chainring and it’s therefore easier to get to the gear you really need.

Agree, it is a step in the direction of singlespeed simplicity, but with geared benefits.

geetee1972

You can run an effective chain guide which is probably the single most valuable attritbute.

The front always flopping onto the granny on rough DH sections aways annoyed the heck out of me, it is certainly a positive point in favor of single chainring.

Scienceofficer

Oddly, my climbing seems to be better than it was with a triple. Having 1:1 as my best ratio seems to even out the torque spikes during my pedaling cycle and I seem to spin out less on loose and steep stuff.

I agree, it makes me think more about my climbing. For me at the end of the day, it is about efficiency. I don’t think spinning in granny is efficient. I think either putting full controlled effort into 1:1, or just getting off and walking, is a more efficient way of riding. I’d like to see some studies on it TBH.

As always, choice is a good thing. It is fun to play with what suits you- standard 3×9, singlespeed, Rohloff, fixie, 1×9, 2×10, Sturmey-Archer, whatever! It is all good, vive la différence!

geetee1972 – Member

you’re always in the right chainring and it’s therefore easier to get to the gear you really need.

Except when it’s now in a box in the garage.

IMHO current gearing is for racing more than anything – I think for recreational riding, 1x(n) is just better.

Chainring can be altered to suit terrain / riding fitness.

I think some people are put off by the overcomplicated 3x(n) standard setup. New riders are confused by it, and always in the “wrong” gear. Better to have 30 (or even 28) chainring and 11-34 (9 speed) in back to start with, then up chainring as required. I know no-one will do it… more is always better, right?

It’s nice to see new people, but thanking TJ personally… come on, it’s just his alter ego 😉

I currently have (bear in mind I chop and change a lot as whim dictates) 34/11-32 on my HT which gets me up and around the Mendips quite well. I would struggle doing Exmoor, a Welsh Mountain etc without a granny ring to fall back upon. I depends on your power and stamina – I’m impressed that Colin climbed virtually all of Snowdon with 1:1 as his easiest ratio.

got my hardtail set up with 36 single ring up front. rode a 25 mile loop in the lakes no problem. considering going single ring on my full sus trail bike.
the front mech is such a pain in the ass to set up, and is generaly crap!
never liked them.
although, doing 50 k charity ride in a couple of weeks, so need all the gears i can get.
swap and change as the ride dictates i reckon.

I’m impressed that Colin climbed virtually all of Snowdon with 1:1 as his easiest ratio.

Steady!

Measuring my away day, I managed 80% of the Llanberis distance, and 65% of the height on the bike. The rest was off and walking. Thats measured from the station by the road.

I’m not that fit, but I am bloody minded. 😆