What chainguide for a 1×9 XC set up?

I want to go 1×9 on my Giant XTC but just need some recommendations on a suitable chainguide. Obviously as it’s for an XC bike I only need a top guide.

I’m thinking that a 38 chainring with 11-34 casette would be a usable set up?

Also any chainline issues to be aware of?

this has got to be one of the most asked questions on here…

for my setup:

Lightweight outer bash guard + an N-Gear Jumpstop.

Light, cheap, simple and works perfectly.

I have 32 x 11-34 seems fine but that is on a 29er.

E thirteen xcx.

Running a 38 tooth chainring seems a little excessive – that’s cross country world cup size.

Most people run a 32 or a 34.

Obviously as it’s for an XC bike I only need a top guide.

LOL 😆

In fact, BIG LOL’s 😆 😆 😆

One person’s XC, is another person’s freeride, is another person’s canal path pootling. If by XC you mean riding offroad over fairly smooth terrain reasonably quickly, but mincing down anything steep, technical, rocky or bumpy, then you’ll be fine with a top guide only. Or if you mean by XC that actually you’re a featherweight XC racer, and you’re exceptionally smooth as well as quick, you’ll probably also get on fine.

If by XC you mean like I do, “ride everything but I’ll stop and wait at the top for a minute to catch my breath back so I can really enjoy the steep/rocky/technical/fast downs”, then you’ll be wanting a proper chain device with a lower guide too.

Can’t stress just how happy a good chainguide makes me feel, knowing my chain just isn’t going to come off ever, and at the same time just how stressful a sub standard chain device is when you’re constantly worried about the chain coming off and jamming, and having to fix it etc.

FWIW I ran a Superstar XCR for a bit. Wouldn’t go back in a month of Sundays, not if I was paid to. Now have an MRP Lopes, only a fraction heavier, but a whole lot more expensive, and well… It just does exactly what it’s supposed to, all the time, no fuss. With the Superstar I was dropping my chain at least once or twice every ride, often the chain jamming so badly I’d have to split it to get it out again. Fitted the MRP and not dropped the chain once!

Oh, and 38T does sound a little tall. I’d suggest trying maybe a 34T to start, then going either way as you see fit. And should be no chainline issues if you mount it where the middle ring used to be on the cranks, as this is the optimal position anyway.

I have an MRP 1x and am very happy. No dropped chains yet.

Rootes1+1

Paul’s Components- looks the bomb, nice and light, a bit pricey (but aren’t they all), didn’t loose the chain once on some of the rockiest riding I’ve done in the peaks last weekend

Double post

Personally I have to agree with mboy, I much prefer the security of both upper and lower guides, but it does depend on what you are riding.
I’ve been using a selection of E13 guides over the last few years, currently on an LG1+ which is not only light and secure, but you can take off the lower mount in seconds if you want to and put it back on just as quickly. 38t does sound a bit tall for XC, as you will obviously doing lots of climbing.

On the cheap: superstar
Want something that actually works: E13 xcx

Want something expensive: E13 xcx
Want something that actually works: superstar

Quick question; has anyone used one of these inner ring bashguards ? Not sure if I’ve seen them posted on here before.. I’m currently running 2×9 with bashguard and this would seem to make sense if I went 1×9 with my current chainset….

General question; do most people use an outer bashguard or not when going 1×9?

E thirteen XCX is twice the price of the superstar equivalent, and about ten bajillion times as good. The superstar ones are noisy, fragile, and don’t keep the chain on properly, even with a dedicated single ring.

I don’t bother with an other ring bashguard, simply because I don’t like the look of them, but if I was going to upgrade to a full retention chain device, I’d pick something up that had a little taco at the bottom.

n-stop and BBG
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BBG bash[/url] by rOcKeTdOgUk[/url], on Flickr

Agree that 38t is pretty tall, 34 or 36 would probably be more ‘usable’ unless you live somewhere flat/are a total animal.

I get on fine with a top only guide (Superstar with homemade seat tube mount), but I’m in the ‘featherweight XC bike/smooth/mincing’ category. If you don’t pedal backwards there’s no real reason to lose your chain off the bottom.

If a front mech can keep your chain on when you have two or three chainrings, why wouldn’t a top guide work when you have only one chainring?

I run the SS XCR top guide and it’s been fine. Sure you drop a chain every now and then but it’s no big deal, and certainly less than when I ran a front mech. Don’t bother with the seattube mounted version though, that is flimsy.

Must say I’ve never dropped the chain with my XCR, but my seat tube mount is far more sturdy than the BB mounted one.

Righty…

Pauls Components works just fine.

As does BBG with either n-gear jumpstop or a Radium inner guide. Issue with the Radium is that you will be limited to 32t ring, but tbh nothing wrong with that.

I run 11>34 on the back and not short of gears.

Lack of traction tends to be a bigger issue than lack of gears, plus if it is that steep then I have no issues with pushing or carrying…

reggiegasket – Member

I run the SS XCR top guide and it’s been fine. Sure you drop a chain every now and then but it’s no big dea

Or to put it another way – “I use the superstar one, but it doesn’t work”

Never had a problem with my Superstar cheapie – use it with a Blackspire Mono Veloce 36t, 11-34 cassette and have yet to drop the chain.

“I use the superstar one, but it doesn’t work perfectly, all the time”

that would be the other way george 😉

I think I’ve dropped a chain twice. In about a year. So, yes, it doesn’t work.

SS BB mounted one here,never had any chain dropping issues with it …

Random double post.

I went 1×9 on my 29’er with a 32t upfront and a 12-36 out back. Initially I used a M-part BB mounted top guide (same as the SS one) and it was bloody annoying, the chain kept coming off and when it did it invariably came off inwards and got wedged between the ring tabs and the flexy alloy BB mount bracket

So off it came and got replaced with a Raceface bash lite and an N-gear jump stop. Haven’t dropped a chain since on my XC riding, which generally includes drop offs, roots descents, and plenty of steps.

I went 1×9 on my 29’er with a 32t upfront and a 12-36 out back. Initially I used a M-part BB mounted top guide (same as the SS one) and it was bloody annoying, the chain kept coming off and when it did it invariably came off inwards and got wedged between the ring tabs and the flexy alloy BB mount bracket

This… The reason the Superstar/M:Part is so crap is mainly due to its BB mount being made of the same cheese they make DT rims from. Not that the Seat tube mount one is better, I’ve heard it’s actually worse! The reason njee probably gets on well with his is he’s made his own, much sturdier, mount for his bike…

So off it came and got replaced with a Raceface bash lite and an N-gear jump stop. Haven’t dropped a chain since on my XC riding, which generally includes drop offs, roots descents, and plenty of steps.

Interesting to hear that what is in essence, a less comprehensive affair, works more effectively than the XCR. Not about to go and get rid of my MRP, but would be interested to have a go on a bike with that setup for comparison.

Or to put it another way – “I use the superstar one, but it doesn’t work”

Was exactly what I was thinking when I read about the chain dropping every once in a while and it being “no biggie”… 😕 Fine if you’re only ever out pootling with your mates, mine always used to drop on the interesting stuff on any downhill section though, ruining it for me. But the worst was at Sleepless last year, one section of the track, every lap my chain would jam, and I did 7 laps! Most laps it only took 20-30 seconds to sort out, but on one of my night laps it jammed so badly it took me 5 minutes to actually sort it out, it had bent the BB mount quite badly, and I had to split the chain in the end to sort it out as well as then spend time tweaking the BB mount back into shape of sorts…

The reason njee probably gets on well with his is he’s made his own, much sturdier, mount for his bike…

I suspect you’re spot on!

I did try a really fancy looking custom made BB mounted carbon one, but it was so flexy that the chain bounced off on anything technical, I can see that if the Superstar BB mount is too flexy it would be utterly crap!

If you fancy having a bashring then I really can’t fault the N-Gear Jump Stop for dealing with inward chain loss. Has worked faultlessly and that’s with a ramped 32t chainring and medium cage mech on 1×9. Just changed to unramped Hope ring and 1×10 with medium cage and it’s still doing its job however badly I land when jumping.

Hey, i’ll revive this topic for another question .
I have an XT triple ring crankset ( 22-32-44 ) with 9sp 11-34 cassette and a long cage shadow RD.
I plan to strip down all 3 chainrings and mount a 24t or 26t chainring ( for long exhausting ascents ) .
Besides the Widgit, are there other chainguides that can handle a smaller-than-32t chainring, similar to mrp or e13 models ?

Your going to have just 1 front ring, & its going to be either 24 or 26?

yes. I’m not fit enough to hande >10 km xc mountain ascents on the 32 ring. with stock 3×9 trans, i usually go 22 x middle sprockets, rarely get to the 30-32 granny sprockets, on the steepest climbs.

I ran a Superstar one for about a year and never dropped the chain.

Can someone explain to me why the seat tube mounted one would be any stiffer and less likely to drop the chain than the BB/ISCG one?

Said it before but I think a lot of it is poor setup.

Been running an MRP Mini-G2 for 2 years and while faultless, its a load heaver and draggy than a simple top mount. New frame should be coming shortly and when it does I’ll be shoving another Superstar XCR on it.

@daveyboy,
the superstar and mrp g2 are for 32 t rings or larger. I want a much smaller ring. Can a standard 32-36 t chainguide be mounted somehow in order to accomodate a smaller ting ?
I’m asking ’cause i’ve never dealt wiht cg’s, as i never ran anyting else then 3×9 stock.

26t front ring only…
Your legs will be spinning so fast on the flat bits & the downs it wont matter if your chain has fell off, you probably wont notice.

yea i know, i’m oscillating between going 1×9 or keeping it 2×9 + a bash instead of the large ring

You need a 2×9….

double post tastic…

ok. thanks.

MRP now do some kind if direct mount chaining which does away with the traditional spider on a crank with a corresponding chain device for fitting dinky chainrings onto 29ers.