MRP is either very clever for holding something back for our Interbike coverage, or they’re a bit disorganised. We’ll give it the benefit of the doubt and applaud it for giving us something else to write about at Interbike along with our Eurobike story on its new 2x double ring chain guide. White Brothers too held back its new snow fork from the show.
MRP Micro G2
Yes, we know it looks like a regular chain device, but the Micro G2 is designed to work with much smaller rings than usual – 28-32. This is for the ‘first we’ve heard of it’ apparent new trend for micro-drive cassettes. We know that Hope are planning on making a cassette with a 9T small sprocket, but apparently a couple of other companies are going to be making them too. This lets everyone run smaller transmissions for better ground clearance and, er, whatever other benefits might follow.
We can see it being good for the more burly 29er 1×10 setups where a 28T or 30T chainring would make sense.
MRP will also be offering a chainring to match this setup. Three chainrings in fact: a 28, 30 and 32T ring. They are designed to bolt directly to a SRAM crank.
Elsewhere on the MRP booth it was showing off 1x chain guides for nearly every mount – direct, e-type, low mech, high mech…
White Brothers
White Bros was showing its entry into the snow bike market. There were a lot of snow bikes there this year. Perhaps it’s the new singlespeed… Anyway, the SnowPack fork comes in two different lengths and weighs under a kilo.
And talking of snow bikes, we see that it’s not just Surly getting into the snow bike tyre market. Here’s a chunky tyre from Devist-8er (say ‘devastator’ we think…) – a 26×4.0 tyre. You’ll know if you need one or not. So probably not… They’re fun to look at. We were surprised that the Americans hadn’t started pioneering 29er snow tyres. We shouldn’t joke as there’s bound to be someone working on one… Because EVERYTHING is bigger over there, eh?
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They’re not just for snow!
Other benefits of Microdrives? So far as the manufacturers are concerned the kit will wear faster so we will have to replace drivetrain kit more frequently. Cynical? Moi?
The bottom picture of that tyre – what’s going on with it? It looks like it is white with the balck oversprayed?
The funny light on the tyre is from a spotlight.
mtbfix: I can remember exactly the same worries being bandied around when Suntour came out with the original 22/32/42 x 11T Microdrive. All the riders on 24/36/46 setups reckoned it’d never last.
Isn’t there also an efficiency issue with smaller sprockets? I thought that I’d seen something a few times that with the chain pitch we use on push bikes (1/2 inch?) that below 11 teeth the wrap is less than perfect and so you get reduced efficiency. But then isn’t a clean and properly lubed roller chain about 96% efficient so it probably will be unnoticeable.
But then again if the chain isn’t wrapping “properly” on the sprockets won’t you get increased wear (though again to be fair how often does one ride in the 1 or 2 smallest spocket/largest gear? Though if you are running only one drive ring, I suppose you will be using all pockets more often?
Despite the concerns above i’d love a 30T microdrive and a 9-36T rear hope cassette… please.
Also i don’t think i’d be putting a great deal of power down on the 9T that often so I’m not that worried, BMXers with the 9T drivers put far more strain through theirs than i ever will through mine.
Anyone know when/where the 28t chainrings will be available and how much they might cost?
Microdrive is a term that was used by Suntour back in 1990 to describe, wait for it, a drive train that used smaller chainrings and smaller sprockets for more ground clearance.
Only a seroius flat trail speed demon would need anything bigger than 32×9 on a 29er
All sprockets smaller than 21T have reduced efficiency – it’s something to do with the bending of the chain. (See the book “Bicycle Science”, but beware, this is not light reading!).
geetee1972 said: On September 20, 2011
Microdrive is a term that was used by Suntour back in 1990 to describe, wait for it, a drive train that used smaller chainrings and smaller sprockets for more ground clearance.
Exactly… which is why I mentioned it again. Back then everyone (well, mainly John Stevenson) was concerned that it would all wear out too quickly. Didn’t seem to stop it becoming the norm though.
Maybe I’m talking out of my arse here, but the absolute minimum number of teeth in a sprocket is like 9t. There is also a maximum number of teeth engaging at the same time (ie. not all rollers of the chain laying on the sprocket are actually driving the chain and carrying force).
I was supposed to know all that stuff, but years of bean counting and beer, instead of actual engineering have taken their toll on me.
That Micro G2 is exactly what I am looking for. I have a 1×10 setup with a 30t chainring on both my bikes (hardtail and fs) but there aren’t any all in one solutions that work for this small a chainring (I’m a girl and can’t run a 32 yet). A Blackspire stinger, innerguard and n-gear jumpstop in various configurations works fine but the mrp units look so slick. I just hope the skidplate will be strong enough.