I’m thinking of putting 1×10 on my new hardtail as I like the idea of weight saving, simplicity, less rattling etc and wondering what ratios and brands folk are using?

The bike will be steel with a fairly burly ‘all mountain’ build but I think (hope)the single speeding I’ve been doing will have got me to a good level of fitness to cope.

I’m happy cranking up most hills with my 32×20 singlespeed.

Cheers.

SLX 36-11 cassette, rear mech & shifter, 32t ring up front from a variety of mfrs – std steel Deore last time the gears were on. Superstar XCR guide to keep chain on. Works perfectly. Honestly don’t miss granny ring. Haven’t had one on a bike for 5yrs.
32-36 will winch you up anything.

running 34T Hope single front ring. Superstar XCR guide and 32-11 Cassette.
runs fine apart from on the real steep stuff but that’s more my lack of fitness.

XT Medium cage mech, 11-36 XT cassette, Renthal SS 32t ring, XTR 10 sp chain and a Superstar BB mounted chainguide. XTR shifter as well. Been flawless so far.

XT 11-36 cassette, SRAM chain (a cheap one), SRAM X9 short cage mech & shifter, MRP 34t chainring, MRP Lopes guide.

SRAM XX 11-36 cassette, XTR shifter & mech, E13 34T chaining, Straitline silent guide & KMC X10 SL chain.

XT medium cage mech, SLX 11-36 cassette and chain, 32T unramped chainring, MRP Lopes chainguide, works superbly. Did try a 36T briefly but found that a bit much for some places. Also tried a Superstar XCR guide for a while too, but personally I found it not much better than useless! The MRP has been faultless by contrast.

Should just add that I normally have no issues climbing hills anywhere with this setup, bike is pretty light which helps too. But today went up a slog of a wet/muddy/slippy route up the Malverns having already decided to take my full sus bike with a 24T granny ring. I’m glad I did, I’ve not used a granny ring in almost 12 months til today (even on the full sus I usually keep it in the 32T middle), but I spent more than half the ride in the granny today! Horrid conditions and a particularly steep route though I think is to blame.

SLX 11-36 cassette
X9 shifter and medium cage mech
Hope 32t chainring on Truvativ cranks with bash ring
N-gear jump stop
KMC X10L chain
On a Cotic Soul. Just replaced a 1×9 transmission, seems great so far.

OK thanks. Is it better to go for the thinner 10 speed chain and appropriate matching parts or just the usual size?

Xt 11-36 cassette, hope 34t ring, e thirteen lg1 trail chain guide (BB mount). Gets me around w2 ok! (that’s a pretty big ride for me)

I’ve literally just bought a bike with a 1×10 setup.

11-36 XT cassette, SLX crankset, Hope 32t chain ring, XT medium cage mech, XT shifter, e-thirteen LS1+ Chain guide and a Connex chain.

I’ve not done much on it so far but it all seems good.

The chain guide makes quite a satisfying purring noise too. 😉

OK so it seems that the most important place to have the chain guide is at the top. Are the BB mounted guides compatible with both internal and external BB’s? The frame will have ISCG mounts.

The chain guide makes quite a satisfying purring noise too.

That’s good to hear!

Edit-just noticed the Superstar one is external BB

OK thanks. Is it better to go for the thinner 10 speed chain and appropriate matching parts or just the usual size?

You will need a proper 10spd mountain bike chain. 9spd won’t work very well, and a 10spd road chain is slightly too narrow.

OK so it seems that the most important place to have the chain guide is at the top. Are the BB mounted guides compatible with both internal and external BB’s? The frame will have ISCG mounts.

Yes, but… If your wheels ever leave the ground, you ever back pedal, or quite simply if stopping to put your chain back on or unjam a chain device is something you don’t want to have to do ever, buy a chain device with a lower guide too. A good chain device will make you a happy man as it just keeps on working imperceptibly, a bad chain device is the stuff of nightmares!

And yes they pretty much all work with external BB’s, or have ISCG mounts.

“Yes, but… If your wheels ever leave the ground, you ever back pedal, or quite simply if stopping to put your chain back on or unjam a chain device is something you don’t want to have to do ever, buy a chain device with a lower guide too.”

Ok I always dispute this but it depends how rough the riding is perhaps. I did get this problem until I made the chain as short as possible.

Purring noise ? Its set up wrong and rubbing. 🙄

Purring noise ? Its set up wrong and rubbing.

🙂 Well, maybe not a purring. It’s the little freewheel on the bottom makes a different noise than I’m used to. No rubbing.

MRP 1X, Salsa 36t ring x 11-36 cassette.

Have run this for a couple of years. It’s great, possibly unless you live in the Alps.

GB

36 x 36-11 (But im HARD) 😀

If you have a bashring on a hardtail you don’t need a bottom guide. Without the bash and with suspension messing with chain tension it may be different.

The chain thing is a bit of a minefield. It seems the SRAM, Shimano and KMC chains work with both brands of cassette. The Shimano chains are directional, the others aren’t. The SRAM and Shimano powerlinks are not reusable which is annoying. KMC powerlinks are. Shimano and SRAM make different chains for road and MTB but you can use them on either. KMC chains are officially suitable for either.

You will need a proper 10spd mountain bike chain. 9spd won’t work very well, and a 10spd road chain is slightly too narrow.

Road chains are fine, running an Ultegra on mine currently. the side plates are a slightly different profile, but they’re exactly the same width.

36t ring, 11-36. It’s great.

XTR mech and shifter, 11-36 XT cassette, 36T Hop ring, Superstar XCR chain guide and a Race Face Deus chainset. I’ve got a 10 speed XT SLX chain. It all works pretty OK now (the chain guide has worked pretty much flawlessly even with wheels off the ground), but it was a mare to get the chainline right when I first set it up.

Superstar do a seat tube mounted guide but its a flimsy thing.

I’ve mentioned these before, but I am a big fan of Widgit chain rings instead of running a chain guide:

http://www.widgit.com.au/

Ok I always dispute this but it depends how rough the riding is perhaps. I did get this problem until I made the chain as short as possible.

Chain was, is, and will always be as short as possible from day 1 on any of my bikes. The issue I had with a Top only guide is by no means a lone case. I know several others who’ve experienced the same, and come across many others on this forum and others who have had the same issue. This is no “willy waving contest” either, there’s people I know on here run a top only guide and get on fine with it that are certainly quicker riders than I am, but I suspect they’re probably a lot smoother too, never back pedal, and can get away with much lighter tyres/rims/frame/forks etc. than I could too because of these facts.

We’re all individuals, what suits one person’s needs doesn’t suit anothers, but based upon personal experience I could in no way shape or form recommend a top only guide.

Road chains are fine, running an Ultegra on mine currently. the side plates are a slightly different profile, but they’re exactly the same width.

Learn something new every day! I’d been told by “someone in the know” (ie. mechanic in a bike shop) that road 10spd chains were actually narrower… Hey ho!

36 x 36-11 (But im HARD)

LOL

I tried a 36 for a bit, but realised I barely ever used 10th cog, and that there were rare occasions where I wished I had a slightly lower 1st gear still. Therefore the 32T went back on. Again, we’re all different… Some people climb hills fine on bloody singlespeeds!