Carloswithac

Hi all,
the more and more I ride my bike, the less I find myself using the granny gear on it. I want to try my luck with going to a 1x9 system.

I'm currently running an M665 SLX crank 22/36 and an 11-34 cassette. I find I can clear most climbs I've ridden in SoCal comfortably in my big ring and middle/upper range of the cassette; rarely have to use the 34. The rest of the components are an XT M772 RD and XTR shifters.

My understanding that all I need to go 1x9 is a new chainring specifically designed for single chainring use. I'm looking at buying a Race Face single Narrow wide chainring for my crank.

Is it really as easy as switching to one of these chainrings, shortening the chain and getting rid of the shifter? I know the RF chainring says it's designed to prevent chain drop, but should I get a chain retention system? I'm looking at the K-edge cross chain catcher. Will that be enough if all I am doing is XC style riding? I'm thinking of going for the 30 or 32 to give me more range; just in case.

Thank you for the help,
Carlos

s0ul_chicken

I have heard several people using the RF N/W rings without any chainguides and not have any chain drops, however, they (RF) do recommend having a rear derailleur with a clutch to keep chain tension. Whether or not a chain guide would suffice is trial and error. That being said, they all tell me having a clutch or chainguide is highly overrated.

If you were going to try it on the cheap, you could simply put on the chainring, drop the front derailleur (or use it as a guide), and drop the shifter to see how it performs. I have a RF chainring on order as well as I would like to try it myself, and at 30 bucks, it could make a nifty upgrade.

Mexican Street Dog

When I went 1x9 on my frankenbike I had an XT Shadow derailer (without the clutch) and didn't have very many drops. When a stick ruined my XT I went to a Deore and was dropping it all the friggin time. So I DIYed a chainguide from a derailer clamp and reflector bracket and the tensioner on bottom from another reflector bracket. Haven't dropped the chain since.

Now, having said that, it does look pretty gumped together so some might not like that but I have more desire to ride than I have money!

Carloswithac

Thank you all. I will try it next week and see how it goes. =)

s0ul_chicken

All I need to do now is hurry up and wait.... just received an email stating that the 30T RaceFace I ordered, is officially on back order. Release date scheduled for mid-October. YAY!

Carloswithac

Got it installed this morning. Will go on an extended test ride tomorrow to see how it goes. I'll update the thread then.

Carloswithac

I went on a test ride this morning and as expected, no issues with it. I went through some rock gardens and bumpy section and no dropped chains. I did notice the noise everyone is talking about, it's not overly loud, but I noticed it. I probably wouldn't have noticed it had I not read about it in this thread.


I had the Bionicon on a spare frame, so I figured it would lessen chainslap. I don't plan on running a bashguard. Most of my riding is XC and nothing outrageous. No jumps or anything extreme. I did miss the 22 on one climb today. I made it up, but I'm sure my quads will be sore tomorrow.


Carlos