Is anyone running a 1 x 10 Narrow Wide Chainring without a chain guide & if so what rear mech are you using i.e. a standard or one of the fancy pants clutch types? Any problems?
Oh & on a hard tail.

me.. on both a full susser and a HT…

both have fancy dan clutch derailleurs and no chain guide…. no chain droppage for me, nor problems….

well, maybe a bit noisy when on the biggest cog at the back in poor (muddy, sandy, etc) conditions.

Running fancy pants on both ht and fs with zero issues.

What a joy not to have a fd to piss about with!

I put a narrow wide ring on at the weekend.

I was a bit sceptical about not running a chain device.

Went over to Cannock and had zero issues. Really impressed.
I’m running an XT clutch mech and had it on the whole time.

just gone narrow wide on my full suss with a shadow clutch xt rear mech. Ridden local stuff, gisburn, BPW, cwmcarn and not a single drop.

Thanks guys, out of interest what chain ring size are you running, was thinking 32 was the obvious choice with a 36 on the back.
It looks like to way ahead to me. I’ve been riding single speed all winter & it got me thinking i don’t really need as many gears. 🙂

Anybody use one without a clutch mech, do they work? I was thinking of getting one for the cyclocross bike.

Running 1×9, Works 32t up front, 11-34 SLX rear and an XTR M971 (I think) mech. No clutch or guide.

Only had a dropped chain when chain and ring thick with bud and back pedalling. Probably due to chainline rather than the ring, though.

32 front and 36 rear…and I’m really unfit and manage OK around Cannock. Will need a 42 rear for Welsh fire roads tho or a manual granny.

I’ve occasionally forgotten to turn the clutch on and the chain still stays on- makes more noise but it’s definitely the ring that’s doing the hard work not the clutch. Used to have a chain guide but been without it for about 8 months I think and no bother at all (I think I’ve knocked it off mid-crash but that’s all, and that includes a couple of innerleithen enduro races and a slow bounce down the fort william dh track on my hardtail)

I’m on 32T front, 11-36 rear. Which is good but you can run out at both ends, up til now I’ve been enjoying the limitations but just added a OneUp ring to see how that goes.

I’ve been surprised what i can do on a single speed, gonna see how i get on with 32/36 & if i struggle go for a OneUp.

Anyone running 1×9/10 but with a standard singlespeed front ring?

I already have a clutch mech and some SS rings but wondering whether I can get by with these or definetly need a NW ring.

Its for a new build hence not trying it out with SS rings already.

I’m running a 34t works components front ring with an XTR clutch mech on my HT, not managed to derail the chain yet, tried a renthal ring before without a guide (had a superstar top guide which failed on me mid ride) and with just the clutch mech that setup would lose the chain 1 or 2 times a ride.

NW ring makes more difference than a clutch mech in my opinion

unovolo – Member

Anyone running 1×9/10 but with a standard singlespeed front ring?
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I tried, with a top-mounted chain device, it was alright… But never really reliable. (completely and totally useless without the chain device incidentally)

These days, with a narrow-wide being better and not much more expensive than a cheap chainguide I think the only reason to do it is if you already have all the parts.

32 tooth Race Face N/W ring with an 11-36 cassette and Sram clutch mech. Two dropped chains since last August, both at BPW last weekend but am sure that it is because the feral at the mech end has snapped in half so as I hit g outs, the mech can ghost shift / loose tension.

I can pretty much get up everything with that combo although maybe I’d been better off with a 34 up front for BPW which was what I was running before the winter.

Running a 36t Raceface n/w, Zee clutch rear mech, 11-36 SLX cassette without a guide. Only had it for a few rides but gone from dropping ~ twice per ride to zero so far. On a HT. Only regret is not getting an XT rear mech (but that’s for looks, the Zee is nice and tucked away and works a treat).

I’m about to put a race face 34t narrow wide on my new steed with a zee clutch mech and a 11-36 on the back. From what I’ve been told won’t need a chain guide at all. Was recommended a top guide only if I want to run one if I’m doing more dh type riding on rocky technical stuff.

no droppage with my 32 tooth Race Face N/W ring with an 11-36 cassette and fancy pants XO mech on my FS

I dropped the chain once with the same mech and cassette on my HT, which was running a double

I’m a recent convert to 1×10 and run 11-34 XT cassette, XT mech (non clutch) with a Raceface Narrow Wide 34t up front. After one ride of the Surrey Hills, I’m more than happy with the gear ratio’s. I did however manage to drop the chain on Telegraph!!!

A few things I might have got wrong…
1. Make sure your chain sits properly i.e… wide chain link slots on to the wide tooth on the Raceface n/w ring.
2. Apparently, chains are uni-directional? (I might have put mine on back to front)
3. Set your chain length correctly – I’ve been using the ‘compress travel, big to big plus 2 links’ method, but I might just do this from now on… LINKY

Well I’m obviously the weakling here running a Wolftooth 30t narrow wide up front and 11-36 rear with XTR shadow plus. No dropped chains, silent and less scope for wrong changes under race stress. Doesn’t really spin out on single track and I’m happy to freewheel if it does.

Count me as a weakling too. 30T up front, albeit on a 29er.

30T RF, XT Non-clutch mech and 11-36 cassette I’ve lost a couple of chains always when completely coated in mud and chain tension wasn’t correct.

Adsh
Did you get stung for any import tax etc on the wolf tooth?

I’m running a 32t Works Components with Zee Clutch and 11-32 cassette and have yet to drop the chain once on my 140mm hardtail (which I guess gets bounced around more than fs?) And that’s with some decent downhills thrown in. The Zee mech is nice and tucked away and considerably cheaper than XT and only 12g(?) heavier. I’d thoroughly recommend it.

Edit: No guide

32t Works Components thick/thin, SLX clutch mech, 11-36 XT cassette on 26″ wheels.

Took it out for its first ride last weekend, decided the Borrowdale Bash would be a good test. Chain stayed put despite me forgetting to engage the clutch. Ratios felt okay, on road sections I was in the bottom three sprockets mostly. Climbs were good, I ride single speed too so don’t mind mashing up hills when need be.

Is anyone running a 1 x 10 Narrow Wide Chainring without a chain guide

if you are running a guide there’s not much point in using a NW, might as well run an ordinary one

Works 32t n/w with x9 non clutch mech on full sus, run for 3 months with only 1 or 2 chain drops, caused by stuff getting stuck in chain.
Even when chain did drop, with no guide it’s a really simple job to put it back on.
Hardtail has Hope std single ring with Deore clutch, not dropped chain on that but the clutch does make the shift a bit stiffer, maybe because it’s a lower end drivetrain.

rOcKeTdOg – Member

if you are running a guide there’s not much point in using a NW, might as well run an ordinary one

Mmm. I’m not running a device, but there’s still a case for belt and braces- top guide + narrow/wide should work a lot better than guide and standard single ring, and might give a bit of extra insurance for really hard use.

Having said that, it was enough of a pain in the arris to get the chain back on with my MRP 1X and a standard ring, add in a narrow/wide and I bet that’s a total nightmare (it cost me something like 3 minutes with a jammed chain in an enduro race, gutted). Whereas as mattbee says, with no chain device you can just throw it back on pretty much instantly.

Anybody use one without a clutch mech, do they work? I was thinking of getting one for the cyclocross bike.

Yeah, I am running one without a clutch mech, but I am running a bash which may or may not have helped somewhat but as Northwind found out it seems to be fine. Rode some of the Enduro & DH trails at Inner at what for most people would probably be a sedately pace. Didn’t drop the chain.

I have run a wolftooth with a XO 9 speed RD for a good year now and dropped the chain once- For some reason i back pedalled over a rooty bit and it came of.
And I ride quite jumpy and rooty tracks. Ive been impressed..

Edit: And I ride a hardtail as well…

On the basis that there is no such thing as a dumb question, can a NW chainring be used on a SS set up?

I’m thinking that this would enable a relatively quick swap to and from SS to 1 x n.

Thanks

I see no reason why not

Cheers jonv 😀

I’m guessing the only issue with using it on a SS set-up would be if you are running half-links to get chain length spot on, otherwise if you’re managing chain length by EBB, dropouts or tensioner you should be fine.

Yes, half links would screw it up.

Another thing I thought. IIRC chain width (between inners) is the same on 9 and 10spd, and microscopically bigger on 8 spd. So if the NW tolerances are made for the smallest sized inners, then if you use an 8 spd or a ss specific chain, then the tighter fit on the wider teeth of the NW that makes them work won’t be quite as tight as it should be. Which should be no issue, as a properly tensioned ss chain doesn’t need a retention device anyway.

Quick Update, rode my 1 x 10 for the first time proper today. Did both Cwmcarn routes. No problems at all, that’s on a standard 10 speed XT rear mech, a NW front chain ring & no chain device. Trails were dry so no mud build up (not that you’d really get that at Cwmcarn anyway. Plenty bumpy enough to ship a chain though.
New trail is good BTW. 🙂

I’m running a Rideworks NW ring. Standard x9 rear mech but quite a short chain. Had no problems, bike look cleaner to. Rideworks Narrow Wide

These are also hard anodised not all rings are.