[/QUOTE]
The Pinkbike article explains the concept behind the narrow-wide rings.[/QUOTE]
Meh. Not very well. They pretty much just say it fits snugly, so it doesn't drop. But, hey, maybe that's all there is to it..?
With a single ring, the chain is always wrapped around the ring providing protection to the teeth.
That's... a good point.
If you don't use it...it's just extra weight and clutter. I've come across bikes with bash guards that don't have a single scratch on them.
Oh. I thought there was some cool secret about them with dropping chains I didn't know about. Ha. On my Rincon I certainly used the crap out of the largest chainring (read: bashguard), but am noticing I'm not really doing so with the new bike. I'll give it a couple more rides and if nothing hits I'll probably remove it.
Went with the Race Face N/W chainring. It should be in next week. I'll report back accordingly.
I'm also still not sure how to determine if my chain is too long... Tips?
Lastly, these clutch derailleurs... I get how they 'lock' to not allow the chain to flop around freely, but how do they 'unlock' for shifts?? Can't find anything to really explain that.