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Fancy trying 1x10, what's good? Is an e13 worth twice as much as a superstar chainguide? And what chainring would you recommend? Currently looking at an e13 guide ring.
I have recently gone single,still using slx middle ring and front mech adjusted out. No matter what I do I've not managed to lose my chain.
I may regret these words later but as of now thems the facts.
Paul's chain keeper for me.
Superstar works a treat for me, never dropped the chain with it.
sambob - Member
Fancy trying 1x10, what's good? Is an e13 worth twice as much as a superstar chainguide? And what chainring would you recommend? Currently looking at an e13 guide ring.
E13 is worth about three times the superstar as if you buy the superstar you'll end up binning it and buying the e13 anyway.
I've gone 1 x 9 for winter. Superstar one works fine. No chain drop or any signs of it yet.
I would've thought you'd want a full guide if you're charging round the peaks Sam if you bounce your chain off with a mech the chances are you'll do it with a top only guide.
E13 ones are definitely worth it if you've got the cash
I've used the Superstar and an MRP G2 for long periods of time and to be honest, they were both as good as each other.
I suspect that running a top only device successfully is as much down to running a good singlespeed ring as it is to do with setup. I tried the ramped ring/front mech thing for a bit and was literally stopping to put the chain back on 5 or 6 times in a couple of hours riding...
I was impressed enough with the SS XCR that I've just received a seat tube mounted version to go on my new Five. Noticed that unlike the top guide of the MRP I was using (which only went up and down), the SS guide block can be rotated to wrap around the chainring which is nice. Not sure if the MRP and e13 ones do that?
Full report coming soon!
Setup is certainly a massive factor! A lower guide is good in the rocky stuff though, particularly if you back pedals quarter or half turn (cornering etc) as that's when you tend to lose the chain at the bottom, particularly if your chain line isn't the best
I was impressed enough with the SS XCR that I've just received a seat tube mounted version to go on my new Five.
You can have what's left of mine to fix yours when it falls to pieces on your first ride. Complete piece of shit.
Thanks for the offer but I'm a very experienced home mechanic so I reckon I'll be fine setting it up so it works correctly, as I've done before and gone on to use a Superstar XCR (which should have fallen apart according to forum myth) for a year without a single failure.
You haven't tried it yet then.
The seat-tube mounted Superstar is pish tbh, lots of flex in the mounting. The Gusset guide is similiarly mounted, and similiarly pish. But the BB-mounted one is fine, mine's been going for 2 years no bother. Slightly more sensitive to setup than some, though.
Needed another guide for the Ragley, so got the MRP 1X instead. Bit lighter, bit prettier, bit easier to set up but no different in use.
Glad I didn't read up on the Superstar seat-tube mounted one before I ordered it, or I might have spent a load more. As it is, I fitted it 6 months ago and had forgotten all about it until now, it just works.
Cheers all. Might have a look for a full guide Tom, fair bit more expensive though. Although it'd be cheaper than buying a top guide then a full guide. Might need to stop being tight.
Can you not use the BB-mounted Superstar one, Sam? I'm running that and a Surly stainless chainring 1x10 and it's been fine. I might also be flogging a whole bunch of 10-speed stuff - conventional shifting is doing my head in... too used to Rapid Rise and I prefer it.
Doh, just read your thread title properly. Like I said, I'm running 1x10 with just the BB-mounted SS thing and it's been fine with the Surly ring. No problems at all with chain dropping.
What 10 speed stuff you got Jon? Got SLX 10 speed already, but will probably end up with a short cage Zee Shadow+. I'll try the Superstar and an unramped chainring and see how I get on.
I have... an 11-36 cassette, erm, SLX I think, a short-cage XT mech, Saint shifter. All virtually new. And a chain...
How much for the mech and shifter?
I'll drop you an e-mail.
Nice one, cheers.
Update on my 'instant death / it'll fall apart' Superstar.
Well, as mentioned, the guide arrived and I went to fit it on my new Five. But it wouldn't go anywhere near it. The clamp / guide slider thing took up too much space where space is pretty tight under the swing arm so back to Superstar it went. At this point I did the sensible thing...
...and bought a bottom bracket mounted Superstar one instead.
Fitted Friday night and did a 4 hour ride on Saturday through the gloop and general rocky trails that Calderdale has to offer. Number of times the chain departed the chainring?
Once. And when did that occur? Just as I went to put the power down out a corner, cracking my balls against the stem? Nope. Just as I went to put a pedal revolution in before a drop? Nope. It happened when I'd got home, hosed the bike down and was giving it a vigorous bouncing in the yard to knock most of the remaining water/muck off it.
[sarcasm]What an utter piece of rubbish.[/sarcasm]
As for the seat tube mounted device being too flexy, I can't figure this out. In a perfect world, there shouldn't be any flex at all around the cranks/BB area. But there will always be a bit which might cause any chain device to move slightly. A chain device, no matter where is mounted will not flex of its own accord...
OP - buy a Superstar guide, set it up correctly with a decent SS chainring and go and ride.