Trip to Morzine later this year.

If I keep my 3×9 setup will I continually lose my chain?

I have friends who have been abroad to cycle most of the trans alp bits using your exact same set-up. They have returned at least 4 or 5 times since I’ve known them and never once have they even mentioned their gearing.

However they did convey how awesome a time they had! Just don’t let the chain sit on the granny ring on the way down I guess – standard drills.

Wish I were going 🙁

Have you any aspirations to descend like one of the Athertons or do you pick and pootle your way down the steep bumpy stuff? If you go over bumpy stuff fast enough there’s a chance you’ll lose your chain. This is why downhillers have chain guides. If you’re not going to be hurtling down and you’re a pretty smooth rider you’ll probably manage fine. Chance are you’re asking because you’re somewhere in the middle of my examples. In that case I’ve been no help whatsoever 😆

(I’d call myself somewhere in the middle and I’ve ridden in some big Alpine terrain without needing a chain guide)

As above. I still ride a triple Luddite set up whenever we’ve been to the alps. Been fine. Have put a clutch rear mech on for this year though.

Have put a clutch rear mech on

Oh yes, these things are great

3×10 has a big ring and a front mech to keep the chain in place, so you’re kind of secure in the middle ring.

Last year my mate just used one of the Bionicon jobbies and was totally fine.

As a relative alpine frequenter, 2 things from my experience

1) bionic on c-guide is brilliant, and minimal faff
2) a n unprotected big chain ring is a reeeeeaaly bad idea if you like your body parts, esp calfs, not horrifically lacerated when clattering down long descent, probably a bit beyond your capabilities.

YMMV, but I have no big ring on any bikes, just a bash, and a c-guide on my alps bike. Job done.

Kev

No “aspirations to descend like one of the Athertons” 🙂

Really just don’t want to be faffing around putting chain back on all the time. Mate was plagued with this the other year.

Can’t really afford a new clutch rear mech atm. My only outlay would be a stinger or similar. How does the SuperStar equivalent fair?

456evo so has ISCG 05 mounts

I never got on with the Superstar one. Cheap as chips, but it didn’t reliably stop me losing my chain and when the chain did jump off it got even more wedged in the guide than it would have done otherwise. Maybe I just set it up badly…

It depends a lot on your setup and your bike. I never lost the chain in a week in the alps with a double-and-bash-and-stinger setup, but I did get a fair bit of stinger-envy from other guests. Also rattled the bashring off some precarious steps/roots and was glad not to have a big ring, though to be fair that’s maybe because I was choosing those lines rather than less precipitous ones 😉

Oh and clutch mechs are ace IMO- I’m trying one without the stinger now and it seems to do the job.

Ive moved from superstar cd to stinger, well roller only. Roller on stinger is much better with the step than the ss non stepped. Bearing is lasting a lot longer too. I kept the backplate from the ss.