I have a racefack NW chainring up front and a XT shadow+ in the rear.
Running it a few months and no dropped chains so happy days.

I’m doing the 5 rounds of the gravity enduro here in Ireland and can’t decide if I need a top guide or not. Will I regret not using one as a safety net?

Looking at this style, simple and neat.

http://www.moovebikeco.com/enduro-top-chain-guide-bottom-bracket-mount

are you going to rode anything rougher than you have ridden in the last few months? Not heard of any bad experiences with NW so far really. Just fitted mine and it seems good so far. A bit of true innovation from the bike industry

No probably nothing rougher but more continuously and harder during the races. I’m no Danny Hart or anything but I will defo be pushing harder than a normal spin if you know what I mean.

I’m definately running one. Have tried without & on rough trails at a decent pace it’s not hard to lose the chain.

It’s good, but not fool proof. For the sake of a few grammes for a guide it’s not worth the gamble if you’re racing.

I’ve lost my chain 3 times since christmas, Works narrow-wide, KMC chain, X9 short clutch mech. Once was in the mud, the other 2 whilst pedalling through rough terrain. I think this may be due to a combintion of the chainring and chain (both were brand new), I’m running an MP3 AMG now, it’s very trouble-free with no rubbing after I filed off a tiny bit of the side of the bash. I don’t think the chain will drop again.

@HobNob…great biscuit btw 😉

Yep that’s what I though myself, better to be safe than sorry for a little extra weight. Thanks

I’ve never yet lost it but that’s on a hardtail so not having to deal with chaingrowth and the added chainslack that comes with it. Really no answer but to try it tbh.

I’m racing the Irish Gavity Enduro series too. I have a wolf tooth NW with a zee rear mech. Dropped a chain once, but I think it was due to the chain being slightly too long (as I was running a full guide before that). I put on E13 XCX just to be safe. That moove top guide looks like a grand job.

It’s probably worth running one if you’re going to race, as if it does come off you’ll kick yourself!

The Moove one is the same as the Superstars one, few quid cheaper aswell
Chainguide

I wouldn’t buy that tbh, it’s alright at best… but you can pick up MRP or E13 offerings pretty easily as so many people are ditching their guides, and they’re better.

I run a top guide, the main advantage being that with a good one like an E13 XCX if the chain does come off the guide will put it back on.

I’ve used a superstar one identical to that moove one and it wouldn’t do that, so I’d not bother with it. In the end my superstar one cost me more than an XCX as I bought it then had to buy a good guide to replace it.

Having followed two people and overtaken two chaps on NW rings and Clutch with no guide but dropping a chain.. I’d still vote for one…

How bothered would you be if your chain did unship? IME racing tends to make bad things happen and unless you’re really not bothered about results, I’d suggest that a simple top guide along with NW/S+ is going to be a good combo to reduce the risk to a very low level without getting the drag of a full chainguide setup.

I’ve got a couple of those moove/SS ones, they’re OK, but the backplate is too flimsy, I’ve managed to wedge the chain a couple of times, it’s popped off and then the backplate deflects enough to allow it to wedge between then chainring and the inside of the guide.

The guide itself is quite good, but ideally needs to be mated to a stiffer backplate.

Just how far would you need to go to be utterly sure the chain isn’t going to get dropped?
Anyone running a Top guides AND a bottom roller with a N/W?

I’ve got a N/W ring on the way and plan to use it with my old, (clutchless) 9 speed kit (for a while at least),

TBH I just don’t trust the internet whispers because it all seems quite mixed, some people are claiming flawless operation with clutchless setups like mine, while others are using proper Shadow+, and brand new N/W rins and still report dropped chains, too many conflicting stories to put much stock in either

As the main goal is to de-clutter and still retain the chain I’d be quite loath to start fitting chain guides again, even descrete little ones like an N-Gear Jump Stop. But then on the other hand weather I’m riding or racing, I’d like to have some faith that full chat on a rough descent my chain will be staying on the ring,

I will be running my new NW setup sans guard and observing the results.

I have an mrp amg from another bike waiting in the wings if its a problem.

top guides aren’t infallible, and if it does come of, you will then have a jammed chain…
at least with no top guide its a super quick “pop it back on” rather than getting the allen keys out.

I’ve run works components n/w rings for the last year with XT, Zee and XTR mechs. I am yet to drop a chain and the bike doesn’t get an easy life. i wouldn’t bother running one, infact, i have an e13 one sat at home that i used for the first 2 rides with a N/W and then removed it.

I’ve previously used those guides you linked to (same as superstar) and they aren’t great by any means. Easy to lose the chain and a sod to get it back on without tools

cookeaa – Member

Just how far would you need to go to be utterly sure the chain isn’t going to get dropped?

I don’t know about distance but I’ve bounced my Ragley down the fort william world cup route, done uplifts and enduros at innerleithen, bounced off every rock at golspie laggan and kinlochleven and properly filled with cademuir and caberston mud, and still not come off while riding (it has come off once in a crash and a few times while manhandling the bike out of cars, over fences etc). So for me, that’s representative, and proves it more reliable than any other chain set up I’ve used from triple chainring to top-and-bottom guide.

The last time I dropped a chain on that bike was at the UKGE, using a standard single ring and a top guide- bastard thing jammed solid in the guide and cost me about 2 minutes.

I still feel like suspension bikes- at least, some suspension bikes- will test it more with the chaingrowth issue but I’m sticking a second Works ring on the big bike and not expecting issues.

I don’t know about distance but I’ve bounced my Ragley down the fort william world cup route, done uplifts and enduros at innerleithen, bounced off every rock at golspie laggan and kinlochleven and properly filled with cademuir and caberston mud, and still not come off while riding (it has come off once in a crash and a few times while manhandling the bike out of cars, over fences etc). So for me, that’s representative, and proves it more reliable than any other chain set up I’ve used from triple chainring to top-and-bottom guide.

Its not that I don’t believe you NW but I’ll read a glowwing account like yours and then another where someone complains about regular chain droppage. I’m sure the subtlties of individual setups, Chain length and wear, Mech type and setup, suspension chain grow or bouncing about on a HT all play a part too. really I’m just going to have to try it for myself

The last time I dropped a chain on that bike was at the UKGE, using a standard single ring and a top guide- bastard thing jammed solid in the guide and cost me about 2 minutes.

That tallys with what “daver27” said, it sounds like there would be more faff and bother involved in recovering a jammed chain than is justified by preventing what should be infrequent loss of the chain…

Either way I should be bolting it all together this week to try out on Sunday, possibly at BPW, we shall see… Cheers

I’m running a Works thick-thin plus bashring on my hardtail (for almost a year) and full-sus (for a couple of months) and have only dropped a chain once (when back pedalling in thick mud to restart after getting stuck behind a slow rider). I don’t know how much the bash helps – it makes sense that you’d generally lose the chain outwards as you’re going fastest and hitting stuff harder in the smaller sprockets, and the bash stops it dropping outwards.

cookeaa – Member

Its not that I don’t believe you NW but I’ll read a glowwing account like yours and then another where someone complains about regular chain droppage

Yup, there’s definitely variables. No shortage of faster riders than me either 😉 Though sometimes slow riding is harder on the bike, I hit every rock where fast dudes float over them.

Re setup, all I can really say about that is that mine is set up well and works well, lots of people do scoot about on badly setup or maintained bikes regardless of drivetrain setup, no doubt single rings are no different

Just how far would you need to go to be utterly sure the chain isn’t going to get dropped?
Anyone running a Top guides AND a bottom roller with a N/W?

I’m a luddite still running a silentguide.

I’d have thought that if you’re running both guides, the additional weight of a bashring would be negligable.