Thinking of going 1×9? xc/trail riders

Had a few people ask for details on my 1×9 setup, so thought I would post a few details.

This post is probably only useful to xc/trail riders who are interested in going to 1×9 setup.

So, why 1×9 then?

– Less mechanical parts = less to go wrong!
– Less mechanical parts = less weight (about 3/4lb in my case!)

So, losing a few gears is all about what kind of riding you do!
If most of your riding consists of all day epics up alpine-like climbs, with long flat fire road sections,
you are probably best sticking with "27" gears.

If however, like a lot of us time-constrained folk, you get a couple of hours to blast around the local woods or trail centre,
then in reality you probably aren't using all of your gears. Are you?

No, but I don't think I want to lose 18 gears!
You're not really. On a standard 22x32x44t, 11-32t setup you don't actually have (9×3=) 27 gears!
Shock, "I've been robbed – I bought a 27 speed mtb".

You actually have more like 15 true gears. See below.

A great site for learning a bit about gear ratios, if you feel the need, is sheldon brown's:
http://www.sheldonbrown.com/gears/
(As a website designer I can in no way endorse his design aethetics and similarly as a beard wearer…but he knows his bike geekery).

Next decision, what size chain ring?

You will have to decide that for yourself, based on fitness and the type of riding you do. Throw a few numbers in Sheldon's website and compare the outcomes compared to your current setup.
I went for a 34t chain ring with an 11-34t cassette.
Why? I was happy with my lowest gear on a standard setup (in the middle ring) ie 32t chainring and 32t cassette, a 1:1 ratio.

The gear ratio is the important part there. Moving to a 34t chain ring and 11-34t cassette is still a 1:1 ratio.

Moving to 34t from 32t pretty much gives me an extra top end gear (whilst keeping the steps between gears v similar).

The only thing left to do is make sure your chain stays on the chain ring.
The best two chain guides that I came across for xc/trail use are e.thirteen xcx and mrp 1.x (I a sure others will comment on any others I missed).
Best (for me) = lightest, most functional, best looking 😉

That's it! At this point you can just head off and ride.

Anything else worth noting?

Your standard 3×9 derailleur probably has a long cage so that your chain can reach all of those "27" gears.
With a 1×9 setup this is not necessary.
Going to a short cage derailleur means you can shorten your chain, reduce chain slap and with it the chance of your chain coming off the ring.

That's it, job done. The basics anyhow.

Spec list: Renthal 34t chainring. MRP 1.x chain guide. SRAM PG990 11-34t cassette. Saint 810 short cage derailleur.

Not sure I'd want to use 1*9 on the route we did today, everything from granny/34 thru to 30mph+.

i used to run 1×9 on my on one, and quite rapidly went back to a triple, i was finding alot of the above was involved where i was riding.

If you live down south though, you'll probably get away with it.

We have steep long hills down south.Mendip ,The Tocks etc

I'm just about to go 1X9 on my Swift. I love it as a single speed but I just feel I could get more out of it with a few gears. I was going to run a 38t chain ring and an 11-34 cassette. I was tempted by an Alfine hub but a derailleur is a damn sight cheaper.

30mph+ on a mtb and you were still pedalling! good effort 🙂

Tried out exactly the same setup as you for a few rides, was absolutely fine on my local loops and evening blasts but changed back to a triple as I wasn't fit enough to race on it.

Also found I dropped the chain occasionally even with the 1x guide on realy rough ground. Maybe I hadn't set it up quite right.

"Going to a short cage derailleur means you can shorten your chain"
You can still do that with a long (or medium) cage mech, using the round the 2 biggest rings + one pair of links. You end up the the mech using the 'most sprung half of its 'travel', where a short cage would be using the full range from 'most sprung' to 'least sprung'. Quite how this affects chain slap and chain retention I don't know

Shimano Shadow rear mechs don't really casue chainslap either

"Spec list: Renthal 34t chainring. MRP 1.x chain guide. SRAM PG990 11-34t cassette. Saint 810 short cage derailleur"
Alternatively, if you don't want to spend ~£210+ as above:
CRC do FSA 3mm alloy chainrings for £14+ (34T+ though), on-one do a stainless 32T for £25
CRC do FSA bashguards for £16, an N-gear jump stop is what £10?
You can probably* use your current 11-32 or 11-34T casette
You can probably* use your current long, medium or short rear mech

*for XC/trail riding. I realise DH riding is a different matter

I use a 34T/11-32T setup on my XC hardtail (Shadow R.mech, FSA bash .. ) on local short(er) rides. It makes the (short) steeper climbs a challenge. It does mean it doesn't get used for rides with big(ger) hills, but thats what the FS is for
Mud doesn't build up next to the front mech in winter too

Nice post, and those gear ratios are interesting, so with a standard 32t chainring you lose 2 higher gears and 3 lower gears, I thinks it's an easy sacrifice if it means I don't have to try and set up my front mech. I have to say that you barely notice the lack of lower gears, and just means you have to put a bit more effort in on the really steep climbs, not to mention that it looks so much cooler with a single ring.

@Big Dave. I had an Alfine on an On-one. I didn't get on with it though, seemed really heavy, the shifter was proper poo and the ratios felt a little off. IMO. I belive there is a new version out though (and did I read about an xt hub gear?)

@James. Thanks, good info.

@Big Dave. I had an Alfine on an On-one. I didn't get on with it though, seemed really heavy, the shifter was proper poo and the ratios felt a little off

I've read a few things along those lines. After giving it some thought I decided a more normal set up is just going to be cheaper and easier to live with. The shifter does look a bit crap and plasticky now you mention it.

I bust the gear shifter on my last bike and didn't realise until the morning I was due to go to llandegla, so pulled front shifter and derailleur off and rode round on the middle ring. it was fine and there wasn't anything I couldn't handle there with the pikey 1×9 setup.

having said the above, if you wanted me to vote what setup I'd have I would go for 2×9 but 3×9 is overkill no two ways about it. the only thing that I wonder about is the chainline, if you run 1 ring at the front you get maximum use out of the the inner and outer cogs on the cassette and that means stress on the chain and cassette

@edhornby. Chain-line is a good thing to point out actually, and if you avoid the top/bottom cogs your 1×9 becomes a 1×7 😉 (single speeders insert joke here).

Very thorough! I must admit my set-up was arrived at by a simpler route: 'I wonder if I can do the usual group ride without using my little or big front chainrings'. I could, so I ditched them.

It's a little under-geared on roads, so when my drivetrain gets worn I will get a slightly bigger front ring.

IME going 1×9 probably not recommended for events/situations where you are pushing the limits of endurance.

personally I recon a 38t front ring is going to be too big – I currently run a 34 and I recon when it wears out I'll replace it with a 32. Simple logic is I find myself in bottom a lot more often than in top

You very rarely run out of a 32×11 ratio whilst mountain biking – its good for 25mph or so. It only becomes a limitation if you have to pedal down a long road. Personally I'm happy just riding a bit slower 😀

THanks for this – really interesting post (for once on STW)

Ive been riding recently only using my 32 ring at the front so may make the move soon as i'm sick of the bloody chain falling off.

So keep 22-32 and get a blackspire stinger or go 32 only and use a chain guide?

I liked 1×9 (32t) til I went for a ride in the Long Mynd. Riding there without a granny is torture, dunno how some manage to do it SS.

Oh and it seemed to ruin my chain because using the easiest gear means a horrible chain line. How do you guys get around this?

2×9 is the best compromise for me as you get easier climbing but still looks relatively clean. I'll never go back to a triple ring unless its on a road bike or something!

The setup looks really good. I do a lot of moderate climbing in 1.9/2.0 but I fear losing 1.3->1.6 for those long, steep draggy climbs. So sticking to 2×9 for now, although I plan to put on a 34 or 36 ring when my 32 wears out.

With a 22+32+bash, I put the chain on the 32 and find that it stays on through the roughest descents, being held in place between the mech and the bash.

I agree with your opinion about using a shorter mech cage + tensioning it up + shortening the chain just right. All really help reduce slap and tickle.

You can adjust the chainline roughly by adding or removing spacer on the drive side BB cup before screwing it in.

I'd like to try 1×9 but will have to MTFU first!

Oh and it seemed to ruin my chain because using the easiest gear means a horrible chain line. How do you guys get around this?

The chainline ain't perfect, but if you have it set up well it's no worse than using the middle gear on the back and the big ring on the front of a three ring setup.

Can't say i've ever had a problem.

May have just had a dodgy chain, but after riding 1×9 for a few months, it gave up 3 times during one ride 🙁

Difficult to say! I have been riding 1×9 since December and had no chain probs (yet!).

I'm just about to go 1X9 on my Swift. I love it as a single speed but I just feel I could get more out of it with a few gears. I was going to run a 38t chain ring and an 11-34 cassette. I was tempted by an Alfine hub but a derailleur is a damn sight cheaper.

Hi big Dave, I have 1×9 on my swift though I when 32t chainring and 11-34..

remember the 29er makes the gearing higher

I rarely use the big and small front cog on my fullsus. I think I might consider a single speed up front on my new project! 😉 thanks for the info.

Its easier than you think Buzz.

OP, care to examine the 0.75lb weight loss with the same veracity as you've applied to the gears?

When I use gears, I run a 34 ring with an 11-32 cassette. I use a 105 road mech and have no problems with chains and chainlines.

@Scienceofficer. (Based on xt components) shifter = 130g, front derailleur = 160g, 2xchainrings = 100g, cables = 60g. Add on the weight of the chain device (60g) = roughly 390g (0.85lb) weight saving. 1 lb=453g.

If you want a bit wider range you can use the 12-36 Shimano 9-speed cassette that came out recently.

Or even better go 1×10 – both Shimano and SRAM have 11-36 10-speed casettes in their new ranges.

I run a 1 x 9 on my Soul. 32 T Renthal ring upfront, same cassette as yours out back. For where I ride (Quite flat) it works just fine. Maybe a 34 T up front would work the cassette and me a bit more 😆

Pic >>

There's someone else that did a bit of weight weenie-ism here:

http://velonews.competitor.com/2009/06/news/wrenched-and-ridden-mrps-1-x-chainguide_93654

They reckon they lost 3/4lb too.

like a lot of us time-constrained folk, you get a couple of hours to blast around the local woods or trail centre,

That's exactly my experience of 1X9. I love it, and I'm totally committed to sticking with it on my Anthem X, but I only ever really ride trail centres, or short local 1 hour-ish blasts.

Still undecided between 11/34 with a 32 chainring, or 11/36 with a 34 chainring. I'm a spinner, not a masher.