1x9 options

[-iRideBikes-]

Seat tube mounted chain guide.

I'm really liking the look of these, especially with all the press-fit BB/BB30 systems your seeing these days. Don't spose anyone knows when they'll hit our shores? Checked out the MRP website but couldn't find anything...

http://reviews.mtbr.com/blog/mrp-announces-3-new-versions-of-the-popular-1x-chainguide/

 

[evObda2]

Ive just used an LG1+ on my meta4.. will never drop a chain or bend a chainring and great protection against rocks and logs.

 

[iscarrr]

Why not 1 x 10 32 or 34 up front and 11 - 36 out back just about go any where with that.

I've definitely been tempted to try a 1x9/10 setup. With such big range cassettes, like 11-36 I'm sure i wouldn't really be looking for more gears on the trail.

New (yet to be released) Specy Epic Evo R comes stock with a 1x10 setup:

 

[Tazdevil]

Poor Mans 1 x 9

I have the widgit dot com dot au setup: (30T attached to granny ring position)

Note that my old XTR cranks had to be chopped down a bit (ie shortened the spider arms, the middle and large rings do not share the same attachment...)

Looks a little bit untidy, but seems to work OK. Difficult to clean the chain ring, but easy to get the chain off. Could probably run a mid or short cage dr too - reduce the chain slap a bit more.

BUT what I cannot work out: Can I get a dedicated set of cranks that will take a 30T ring? Do they exist?

 

[RichJS]

Can I get a dedicated set of cranks that will take a 30T ring? Do they exist?

Yes, but they're not common because most MTB cranks are 104BCD for the middle/large ring. It is very hard - but not impossible - to fit a 30t on a 104BCD and not have the mounting bolts touching the chain

94BCD cranks are out there and you can find rings down to at least 29t for them fairly easily.

 

[CQP]

1 X 9 experineces

Hey guys,

Thought I might chime in with some observations about set up and gearing:

I've been running one chainring for on my XC bikes for a while now. The first set up I had was a 38t front ring and an 8spd 11-30 or 11-32 (can't remember...) cassette. I was using a locked out front derailleur with no shifter or cable as a chain guide. The chain came off every now and then but not that often. This was on a hardtail I raced a lot at ourimbah and had no problem with any of the climbs.

My next bike was a specialised FSR dual suspension nine speed and I went to an Aireal full guide - 38t ring to 32 cassette. I found straight away - racing at ourimbah still - that I couldn't stand up anywhere near as much on the uphills. This was 2002 and a very active suspension design, it didn't like out of the saddle climbing as much as todays bikes and shocks. All of the seated climbing was too much and I eventually went to a 34t ring. After a couple of months I went back to a triple ring set up, it was too much. It was about this time that I stopped trials riding, in particular riding all over sydney's eastern suburbs on a bike with the seat right down. Looking back now, Looking back now I think it was this change to a more sit and spin style that killed the 1 x 9 for me.

After some time on hardtails, in 2008 I got back on a dual suspension, this time a much better pedalling bike and went back to 1 X 9. I've been running a full E thirteen LG-1 with a 34t ring and 11-34t cassette. At the time I set it up I bought a 34t and a 36t ring. I've never used the 36t. The 34 has been an adequate top gear for me (I also recently read that Geoff Kabush ran a 34 in Canberra). I'm a high sport class, low expert class level xc racer and I can see that stronger guys would benefit from a larger ring (36-38t) on flatter tracks. As far as climbing goes, I've never had an issue at any of the tracks races are held on, the only times it's been a problem are when you are climbing for hours at a time, such as riding up and over mt stirling and buller. I've gone down to a 32t on these occasions. Also, I've never done the Otway Oddyssey, but If Chris Jongerwaard needed a granny ring for that race, I wouldn't try it with a 34t!

When I was using triple chainrings I always swapped the 44t to a 42t. I always found that 32t never felt like it had enough pull in flowing singletrack, but the big ring always felt too tall and if I rode in the big ring I'd have to change down a lot. Now with the 34t, it's got a bit more pull when you accelerate and I feel like I'm always in the right gear. Also, bike is simpler, lighter, cleaner looking, no chain suck, only I shifter to think about. A lot of guys who look after their bikes well won't like this but I've also found that you can run chains and cassettes much, much longer. Because you always run the same ring, your cassette wears more evenly and things mesh long after they should. With unramped rings you can flip the chainring over when you replace a chain and cassette and you've got a brand new chainring. By the way MRP and E thirteen make cheap single rings and are available in all sizes. You could buy 32, 34, 36 and 38t chainrings. It takes me ten minutes to change a chainring and I have to pull my cranks off, but if you were running the new mrp or e thirteen top only guides you could change a ring in half of that time. Keep all the rings in the toolbox and use the one best suited to the course - that's what the pros do!

To sum up: If you do your climbing in the saddle, stay with at least two chainrings. A single ring requires a lot of out of the saddle climbing and you won't have the core and hip strength and endurance to ride it properly. You'll end up sitting down and grinding your knees away in too higher gear. For this same reason I recommend 1x9 to anyone who rides bmx/dirt jump/downhill bikes or anyone else who spends a significant amount of time out of the saddle.

Secondly, I think the widget is a bit of a joke. If your only ring is smaller than a 32t you are seriously compromising your top end speed and accelaration. Going fast is what mountain biking is all about.

 

[HerdingCats]

Hey CQP,
Thanks, a really helpful summary - it's convinced me that I need to stay on two chain rings.

Appreciated!

a

 

[jathanas]

I very much appreciate your thoughts CQP. It helped me sort out my approach.

I'll be using 1 x 9 on my hardtail (34 front - 11/34 rear) as I ride that machine in an aggresive off-the-seat manner mostly for rides that last less than 3 hours.

I'll keep the 2 * 9 on the dually as that is what I use for the longer enduro events i.e. BMC classic, Otway Odyssey where the easier gears are much needed.

 

[jda]

Secondly, I think the widget is a bit of a joke. If your only ring is smaller than a 32t you are seriously compromising your top end speed and accelaration. Going fast is what mountain biking is all about.

I climb in and out of this valley twice a day every day on my commute to work I can tell you my 28t widget has saved my knees, its no joke it just depends on what you ride.

1x9 rider for a good 10 years now.

 

[DuncanFG]

Another option I haven't seen mentioned here is the Paul's guide:
http://www.paulcomp.com/ckclamp.html

I bought one to put on my S-Works but it sat too low and the seat tube flared out where it was meant to sit. I've since transferred it to another bike that I just spent 5 weeks in Europe with. To be honest it drove me nuts as it would get knocked by rocks and I couldn't tighten it properly as the 4mm allen key on my multitool fouled on the frame. No fault of the guide, it seems to be nicely made and adjustable with the right tool.

I'm looking for a guide that will fit on my S-Works with it's flared tube and BB90. Will have a look into that MRP guide. I also heard there was a similar E-thirteen guide but haven't found it yet... Running a locked out derailleur for now.

I've been running 35:11-34 for a few years now and it's fine for all VIC races I've done except the OO and the marathon champs.

I run Surly rings cause they're shiny and easy to clean but they bend very easily. Luckily they're also easy to bend straight again.

 

[paul_sm82]

Pics of a couple of my rigs with 1x9 set ups

Hi all,

I know this thread has been inactive a while but I thought I would chime in after reading through and hearing of CQPs similar use of the front derailuer as a chain guide

I have two of my rigs set up 1x9.

One is my 2008 Giant Anthem 0 set up 1x9 using the 32T middle chain ring from the original triple and the XT FD locked out as a chain guide. I have found this set up to be very reliable with the chain only ever coming off once in a couple of months with this bike used 3-4 times a week for singletrack fun.

The other is my Santa Cruz Chameleon hardtail. This one is very similar to above but I used a 34T raceface alloy single specific chainring as the original XT triple was knackered.

FD shifting has long been a real bain of my mtn bike riding experience with myself very rarely using anything but the middle ring anyway. I can honestly say I have never used the 22T granny ring on any of my bikes in all of the time I have been riding bikes.

Since going 1x9 I have not looked back, the flexibility of still having gears out the back is great for technical riding and longer rides and the maintenance is significantly reduced (not as good as my single speed but still great). Also great having that extra clearance for logs, step ups, rocky drops. Too date I have not smacked my front chainring on anything.

Chainline on both of these bikes with the FD chain guide is pretty darn good with the 34T equipped Chameleon not experiencing any rub at all and the Anthem only rubbing very slightly in the 32 x 11 combo which in reality I use very little as most of my riding is singletrack and fire trail is boring anyway. Both bikes run 32-11 9 speed cassettes out back (all SRAM on Anthem, all Shimano XT on the Chameleon)

Highly recommend it to anyone considering. It is easy to revert back to 3x9 if you keep your old bits and the meagre 400+ gram weight saving is actually a little more noticeable than I ever thought it would be as some of it has come off the rotating mass down below.

I am waiting on a 32T widget to replace the FD and old chainring on my Anthem and will keep you posted on how that compares. Interesting to see others views above.See pics below.