Well, I decided to take the leap and try out a Race Face narrow/wide since BikeBling had them for a screaming deal at 22 bucks. I currently run the 38/24, so I think the 30 will be a good experiment. There are times on the trail where it seems I am either geared too high or too low and cannot find a happy medium. At BikeBling they had all the narrow/wides marked for 37 bucks, and for the 30T, subtract 15 dollars. Too good to pass up! I only had to wait for it to come off back order. Now, at BikeBling they have the rings still at 37 bucks, but now ADD 15 dollars for the 30T, making it a 53 dollar chainring now... I think someone at BikeBling messed up on the website pricing at time of my purchase.

The install was a snap, and looks killer. I had ordered this green ring at the time I had the black frame, but I think it turned out well having silver. Type 2 RD should be here next week, but pulling two links of chain helps in the meantime.

The Poodle and Doberman could care less though...


RF4 by s0ul_chicken, on Flickr


. by s0ul_chicken, on Flickr


RF1 by s0ul_chicken, on Flickr

I had my first ride last night with the new setup, and I am truly amazed at the difference. First off, chain slap is 99 percent gone. Taking two links out and using that narrow wide was an improvement I never expected - one quiet drivetrain indeed, and I bombed down some seriously stupid rock gardens. Secondly, the range (for me) of gearing now is spot on. I can hold a gear longer and found I am a bit quicker on some sections of the trail with none of the in-between gearing issues I had before with the 38/24 setup. Current weight of the bike stands at 27.2 pounds, with a weight loss just shy of a full pound after dropping the shifter, chainrings, cable, and front derailleur. Eventually the RD will be replaced, but with the performance I saw last night, it isn't real high on the priority list for me. YMMV

I would be concerned with a 30T chainring about spinning out way too early because we have some trails that have a good amount of in the saddle pedaling.

A good test might be to go back to the race course you just ran and run it again with the 1x10. The Garmin doesn't lie.

That is my only concern at this point is when riding on the road, Colin. For the trails, the highest gear I have been able to get into (on both the race trails) is 8th. For the road, I was spinning out at just under 25 mph in 10th gear. As far as trail speed, last night I was able to improve my fastest time around Rigor Mortis by almost a full minute. More than likely, I will be getting a 34T in the near future specifically for the RAR - but for 22 bucks, it was hard to pass up the weight savings and cost of the chainring and all the fun that has followed. All experimental, but I LOVE it so far.

Sounds like you've got it covered, then. If switching between 30T and 34T rings before you head out for a ride is no problem for you, then you'll have all the flexibility you'll need.

If there is one thing I like about the X7 drivetrain, it is easy to take apart to make any changes since you don't need any special tools. So, I will be hunting for that 34T to add to the collection, plus I will need a new chain next year anyway (you are supposed to change them out yearly, correct?).

Thanks Colin!

your chain will stretch which will cause accelerated wear on your cassette and chainring.

measure your chain wear with either a park tool (very cheap) or a ruler (instructions are on several sites, including Sheldon Brown's). if you replace it before it's overly stretched, you should get about 2-3 ten speed chains per cassette, and more than that on the chainrings since you will be alternating between the 30T and 34T.

Great advice Colin! Thanks!

When you said the Doberman couldn't care less, I actually looked for a Dobermann bike in the background somewhere. Clearly, it's been a long day.

She is tough to see, so here is a crop of the image.



Here is another image of her.



And one more of her begging for a pecan.

Is a 1x9 conversion a viable thing to do?
I am hating my current set up but I am willing to try the single front ring thing but I have a 9 speed.

I don't see why not, Race Face advertise that this chainring will work for 9, 10, 11 speeds. You can read up on it at the Race Face site here.

For fun last night I went off a 2 foot drop, and the chain stayed on. So far, not a single dropped chain.

shift gears in a choppy section, like a rock garden. if the chain doesn't drop, it isn't going to.

I hadn't thought of trying that, but I will tomorrow night Colin! No riding today with the incoming storm...

Been 1x for quite some time, on various 7-10 setups over the years. It's all about the front ring selection - have to skew what size you pick for what your riding and trails are like. Four 1x10 setups in the fleet right now, and love 'em.

The advent of wider ranged cassettes has been a wonderful thing! As well as clutch rear derailleurs.

IMO, if you're riding a lot of fast and chunky terrain, at least a top guide is maybe a good idea. Not when the setup is new, but when your chain and ring start wearing a bit... Yeah, these rings help, but don't entirely stop chaindrop - lots of anecdotal evidence out there on the intertubes to show that.

I really like my MRP AM-Guides - upper guide for drop prevention, bash protection on the bottom to protect the chain/ring. No lower roller, so you aren't adding any friction to your drive system, just a bit of weight to the bike. YMMV obviously, and it all depends on how and what your ride.

i just converted my 1993 rockadile to a 1x7. put 34 tooth chain ring on some very nice old school specialized cranks. ridr it tomorrow