How’s the top only guide combined with a clutch mech working out for everyone on their 1x setups?

What bikes/riding are they being used for?

Looking at put it on a 6″ bike that gets used for xc bimbles through to uplift days. Accepting i may need to put full guide on for DH/uplift days, but for trail riding and general tom foolery with lots of jumping, i’m hoping it’s enough.

it works just perfectly – id like to think i ride hard – and ive never dropped the chain!

any one whom tells your differentl has it setup wrong or is doing mega downhill stuff

I use the hope bashring and hope top guide with a rear zee clutch mech on a rigid hardtail running 1×10 so i get bounced around a fair bit, not had the chain drop of in 4 months.

I’ve got exactly the same set up as somafunk – highly recommended and not dropped a chain yet. Also don’t get the drag as I do on the MRP guide on my other bike.

Positive results here as well – never dropped a chain on my hardtail with a Zee RD in the back and bashring + Jump Stop in the front. SS chainring as well, “just because”, not sure how much difference that makes but it makes me feel even fuzzier inside.

Same here: Zee, MRP 1x, SS ring. Not dropped the chain yet whilst riding.

I have an xtr clutch mech on my trance with a hope top guide. I haven’t dropped a chain in the 4-5 months I have been using it.
But I have a Paul’s chain keeper with an normal xtr mech on my anthem and a normal xtr mech with a e13 xcr guide on my stiffee and I haven’t dropped a chain on either of them.

So summing up on my experience I would say that you don’t need a clutch mech to stop the chain coming off. Buy one to reduce lower chain slap and noise but the best benefit is the confidence it gives to keep pedalling across rougher ground.

Andy

I’d love to tell you but my Zee mech completely self-destructed last week on only its third ride!

Works very well for me on my hardtail, haven’t tried it on a full suss.

My experience of top-guide-no-clutch is very different from Andysredmini, I lose the chain every ride pretty much without fail on mine, and no wonder. Comparable set up with a clutch, on a bike that gets ridden much harder, and I can’t remember the last time I lost the chain.

Agree with Northwind. Top only guide without a clutch mech never worked for me. Have top only guides on a Soul with a Paul’s Chain Keeper and a Superstar top guide on an Orange Blood, both with clutch mechs. I have dropped the chain on the Blood a couple of times only but I have had it on there for several months and ride it a lot and use it for downhill. Not enough of a problem for me to want to change.

I just use a top guide (no clutch mech) and I recently dropped the chain for the first time. If you tend to pedal back you may lose it more, but I’ve not had an issue.

However I don’t really have just a top guide, I have a top guide and bashring, which is more like a full top and half bottom guide. Just ordered another Zee clutch mech whilst I wait to see if Madison give me a refund on the broken one.