I know good and cheap don’t really go in the same sentence, but my bike is a bit of a happy bodge job. Want to go 1 x 9. Currently using XTR rapid rise. It’s been great, smooth shifting, but it hangs down so goofy long and I get loads of chain slap ( running 2 x 9)
I read that some downhill riders were running road mechs on their bikes. Otherwise its that Saint one that looks nice but is a bit pricey new. What else is out there? Anyone try a road mech on their mountain bike? Or is a second hand saint my best bet?

SLX GS (short/medium cage) I think the cheapest, unless theres a short cage deore I never found when I looked
I’ve got one on my 2×9 main bike. A bit heavier than an XT but I’m not worried about bending an aluminium cage on an XT with a steel SLX
I’ve heard of others and myself bent an alu. cage XT on a hire bike before, but never my own XT one.

For my XC 1×9 I used a long cage (thats what I had) and chopped the chain to suit chainring/casette combo, such that the mech cage is nearly flat when in biggest sprocker and about straight down when in smallest sprocket
Isn’t too bad on chainslap though as I use it for less ‘agro’ trails (main FS is for that) it doesn’t get a fair test
Up front using only a top guide is more of a problem, how much of that is because its a superstar one I don’t know. A front mech with the low stop wound right in ime has worked better for the short time I used it

zeeee?

Thanks. The Zee is 10 speed. Is that ok to use with 9 speed? Also, some reviews I read of the saint, say it’s an absolute bugger to get the rear wheel in and out. Is that true of a short cage mech in general?

dont think you’ll get a 10spd mech to work. Something different in the way the shifters pull, or something
Not sure a 10spd shifter and mech would work either as a 10spd mech fits onto the same width freehub as a 9 and 8

My SLX GS is fine to get wheel in/out. Not used a saint