Narrow wide or chain guide?

Building a 456 Evo running 1×9 (having to keep costs down,) with a square taper bb. As I can’t find a cheap chain guide to fit the skinny seat tube, is there any reason to spend £40 on an iscg05 guide when I could just spend £40 on a N/W ring?

It is purely chain retention I am bothered about, running a non-clutch much.

Those chainrings are designed to work with a clutch mech.

You can probably get shims to make a chainguide fit (have a look at sjs cycles, they do a lot of this sort of thing.)

Reports of people running them fine without a clutch. However there are also people using NW, clutch and top guide.

I’m trying it without guide or clutch but first proper ride is not until Saturday.

Ive got the raceface narrow wide chainring working fine on my 456 evo with a none clutch mech and not had it drop yet, previously had the same setup on my orange 5.

I can’t find a cheap chain guide to fit the skinny seat tube

Shim a cheap chain guide so it will fit on the skinny seat tube?

I constantly forget to engage the clutch on the mech with my N/W and i’ve yet to drop the chain, it just rattles a bit

The most effective/important part is the chainring IME, I’d choose a narrow-wide ring and no chain device or clutch, over a chain device and no clutch or narrow/wide.

Not even a close run thing, clutch + chain device retains the chain less well than narrow/wide and no other stuff.

Still running the £30 works components ring bought over 6 months ago, only lost the chain once and not sure the ring was to blame tbh.

Get a £35 one from works components and support a small british company rather than give crc more money for a taiwanese one!

I constantly forget to engage the clutch on the mech with my N/W and i’ve yet to drop the chain, it just rattles a bit

Replace constantly with frequently and that’s a +1 from me. But the lack of rattling makes the clutch mech the single best MTB drivetrain enhancement in my MTBing experience.

Thanks for the info. Works components chainring has already been despatched so will see that goes on its own.

I run a narrow/wide with a SRAM Type 2 mech (can’t forget to turn the clutch on with them v shimano!) and a Bionicon CGuide – never dropped the chain yet in 9 months of riding Innerleithen DH/enduro trails, Alps and general trail riding. And it’s SO quiet it’s bliss!

clutch + chain device retains the chain less well than narrow/wide and no other stuff.

Nuts. In that case the 30 quid i’ve just spent on a chain device would have been better spent on works components narrow/wide then?

Northwind – Member

Not even a close run thing, clutch + chain device retains the chain less well than narrow/wide and no other stuff.

*raises suspicious eyebrow*

Depends on what kind of guide we’re talking about here, right?

NW rings have destroyed the chainguide market.

1 x 10 here. Sram clutch rear and Race Face narrow wide without any guides.

Works a treat. Have flung my bike down many downhill runs and fallen off a plenty without any problem. Very smooth.

I ran a top-guide with a single ring (not narrow wide) and a clutch mech.

I occasionally, but regularly break and bend teeth on my chain ring. Its enough to be costly and annoying. For that reason I’m a guide and bash person.

Bionicon do a cheap and cheerful chain guide that you just fit to the chain stay and it’s about £35.

http://www.evanscycles.com/products/bionicon/cguide-v02-ec040588?country=GB&currency=GBP&utm_content=mkwid__pcrid_17321847296_kword__match__plid_&gclid=CIu8yePX8bsCFRPItAodQicAnQ

Running a NW with no clutch, not lost the chain yet.

Get a £35 one from works components and support a small british company rather than give crc more money for a taiwanese one!

Good advice, buy a quality British product for less £ = no brainer.

My Works Components N/W arrived this morning (within 48 hours of placing the order).

Scienceofficer I assume you can fit a bash to the nw ring and still happily ditch the guide.

Worth a read, my current thread:

http://singletrackworld.com/forum/topic/raceface-narrow-wide-users-general-question