[Closed] Chain guide needed for 1x9 (and a few other q's!)?

If I'm running a 1x9 is it best to use a chain guide?

Yes. Definitely. Despite what people will say on here, the top guide Superstar one for £16 is spot on. I've never had a problem with one (on two bikes - 456 Summer Season and now on my Five so both bikes that get ridden fast over lots of rocky stuff) and have never had a chain drop). Dirt agree too - its in their top 100.

And what's the best way to get single chainring......

Depending on how much you want to spend, probably seperately.
eg. Deore level cranks, short bolts, On-One SS ring will be about £60 plus you can then flog the un-needed rings that will have come with the cranks. Of course there are SS/1x specific cranks like Race Face, Middleburn, SRAM X? stuff but they're all mega bucks compared to the above. Depends on what you want.

Chainrings as part of a double/triple are ramped to aid shifting. You don't want that so just buy a single chainring - they're not expensive.

Unless you're riding well boring stuff you'll need something to help chain retention.

Straitline Silent guide are the best - after smashing loads of other guides I wouldn't use anything else. Silent and never drops the chain.

Must admit, a Silentguide is on my list for later in the year after seeing the reviews of them.

+1 silentguide. Setup needs to be just right though.

MRP G2 here. Simple and quiet.

Thanks for replies, chainguide it is then. Next point to ponder is shall I get the £16 superstar one or the £80ish Straightline one, decisions decisions!!

Setup needs to be just right though.

This applies to all chain devices. Get it even slightly wrong and it'll cause you all kinds of headaches.

Depends what kinda bike you're building? Lightweight XC type hardtail? I'd go for the Superstar. Full sus trail bike or big hitting hardtail? Straitline (or G2 - ran one for 2 years without a chain drop).

I used to have a bike setup 1x9 it was great while I ran 2 bikes so I could have the full compliment of gears on the other bike & 1x9 for my local loop, but for an only bike its a bit limiting IMO, & for very little gain anywhere.

I run 1 bike now, & its got lots of lovely gears to choose from.

I say run it with the cheapest device you can to see if its for you, & buy a chainset with 3 ringS, if you like 1x9, flog the rings.

OH while your at building a bike, full length cables, I also run Middleburn oilers in the line, its worth the extra setup time.

The Superstar guide is "ok" however I find the chain sometimes drops between the frame and the guide, and getting jammed. Which then causes me to kick the bike and shout at it! Very very annoying.

Ring wise, I use a Hope 36T SS ring, not "that" cheap, but very nice.

I'm still no nearer making a decision on triple chainset or ss/1x specific chainring.......maybe something in the sales will make my mind up!!

Thanks

i have the ST mounted Superstar one... it functions well enough but i admit it does worry me.

Well, it depends on your budget if its tight a triple is the cheapest way to try it as the rings are just so expensive to buy, your brand new ones will sell very easily for a decent price in the classifieds, you can use the 32t that comes with it as the ramps have no effect on chain droppage, I dropped my chain 13 times in a 1 hour race when I ran 1x9 even using an unrampped ring, that was before I used any device, it was actually a bash ring & n gear jump stop then as no one made a simple device at that time.

Its still a crap setup though.

Why are you not looking at 1x10 if its an all new build? It would remove a small ammount of the shortfall of gears by going 1 ring on the front.

Good question (why not 1 x 10?) and one I havent got an answer to!! Right 1 x 10 it is then!

ATM it is a 'flexible' build and am open to suggestions

1x11 😀

E*13 full guide here, brilliant never had problems except for when a turd got sucked up & wrapped around it

Renthal 33t ring too, mainly because it matches the rest of the bike but it looks & feels like it'll be around far longer than me.

Where you riding btw? Mincer or aggressive hardcore manly xc?

You can get a better spread of gears with the 10 speed cassettes.

If you do go down 1x9 the SLX shaddow mechs are about the quietest & they have a stronger spring in them than XT etc & a med cage is tidier than a long, they also don't break the bank.

But honestly it really depends what riding your intending to do, for me a liked SS, & I like gears lots of them, 1x9 was just something inbetween all the pitfalls of gears without any real saving ecxept some niche points.

Man up go SS or if its your only bike just run all the gears it makes the bike more versatile.

1x9 or 1x10 is just a halfway house.

They look nice running 1x9 but as soon as the chain device goes on it looks just like its got a double or triple on it so I dont really get it.

Anyhow it looked like this 1x9 🙂
[img] [/img]

Banks....I'm sticking to 1 x 10 (but can be swayed!). Mainly riding xc mincing due to where I live (Wirral) with visits to penmachno and llandegla to MTFU.

Tinsy....I've got a Swobo Sanchez (SS commuter) a 27 speed P7 pro (I know I know), a carbon road bike and a retro GT timberline I rode the Pacific Coast Highway on a couple of years back. The thing is I've always liked the look of the Scandal so when they were on offer over Xmas I had to press the 'buy' button and I'm going to build it up to a 1 x 10 halfway house job!

Go for it, my Tinbred above got stolen 😥 , I ride a Scandal now, great frame, you have all your bike bases covered by the sounds of it, so 1x10 isn't going to give you any limitations.

Post a pic when its built.

I run 1 x 10 on my SX Trail which I ride pretty much everywhere. I use an E13 Trail guide which seems to be pretty good and doesn't weigh too much, 34 tooth Hope chain ring and an SLX 11-36 tooth cassette. So far I've been pretty happy with it and have been able to ride up everything on my usual routes, including the peaks. There are a few times when I wish I had more gears, but they seem to be few and far between.

Shadow+ mech and either Hope IBS and guide or a Pauls chain keeper?

I run 1x9 on my Cotic Soul with an E13 Freechucker guide, an E13 34 tooth Guidering and SLX cranks. I would not run 1x?? without a chainguide. It would not be worth the heartache of losing the chain. I would also not use just a top guide for the same reason. If I was doing this again, I would get cranks such as:

http://www.chainreactioncycles.com/Models.aspx?ModelID=64623

It has a removable spider for the granny ring. It was a pain having to file the granny ring tabs on the SLX cranks so that they could be used with the chainguide (although a BB mounted guide should not have this problem). The freechucker guide has the advantage that nothing moves, and it is (was) very cheap. I also think a bashguard it worth using to protect the chainring, chain and your legs.

http://www.e13components.com/product_****r.html

The above set up has not been touched in over 2 years and I have never dropped a chain. If you are going to go 1x10 (and are sure of the decision) I would dive right in with a full chainguide and SS specific ring.

I run ramped rings & a superstar guide

Never had a problem

Thanks for all your input/advice/opinions/recommendations, looking forward to getting the build started now.......but got a lot to learn!!

It was while I was routing through the bike box last night that I came across my old Race Face Deus (?) xc cranks and chainrings, a place to start!

Thanks again