The Official mtbnj 1x9 Thread...
- Thread starter NJ-XC-Justin
- Start date
mwlikesbikes
Well-Known Member
With no guide on the front ring do you have any issues with dropping the chain on the rough stuff?
BTW, sweet Pisgah!
BTW, sweet Pisgah!
ArmyOfNone
Well-Known Member
diggin the blue hopes
liong71er
Well-Known Member
up until recently i don't have any problem with droping chain,even going downhill on rough/root/rocks trails.
that maybe because i've use shortcage RD....:hmmm:
@armyofnone,blue is favorites colour thanks guys!!
thinking about conversion
I have a nomad and considering 1x9 just for simplicty factor and a little wieght savings. problem is riding mostly at mooch i reach for that granny a few times. i know all the benifits like stonger faster, but knees aren't what they use to be. i'll give it shot anyway cuz i can always go back. any one else running similar setup?
I have a nomad and considering 1x9 just for simplicty factor and a little wieght savings. problem is riding mostly at mooch i reach for that granny a few times. i know all the benifits like stonger faster, but knees aren't what they use to be. i'll give it shot anyway cuz i can always go back. any one else running similar setup?
NJ-XC-Justin
KY-DH-Freddy
1x9 dualie here too, though my Azure only has 4" of travel not 6. Oh and Adam Craig won the XC National championships two days ago on a 1x9. So yeah you can still go mighty fast. The one thing I'd say is not to bother doing it if weight is your main reason. It may be a pound you lose even after you add a chain guide device, but it's a mod that factors into your riding so much that it's not worth doing for weight reasons alone. The extra clearance is great, but the main thing for me is as you said is simplicity. Somewhat SS-like in approach, there's no second round of gears to consider. With 18 or 27 gears I'd think, OK, here comes a hill, so I'll shift my chainring down and my cassette up 2. or 3. no 2! Now it's head down and full speed ahead and if i need more just tap the one shifter I've got. Love it.
yeah, i know there's not a big wieght savings but a half a pound may just get me in the under 30 POUND CLUB! I really don't care that much about the wieght, it's more of changing for something different, like obama i'm for change. i just hope i dont hurt my knees cuz there are times when i do push a little harder and i feel the twinge...
RNG1
Well-Known Member
Justin, I got hooked into this thread and am curious about a few things.
I started reading this backwards from most recent and didn't want to sound like an idiot but when I read the early post about a 3 speed system I actually have been thinking along those lines but not knowing if it makes any sense or even doable. The link that was posted seems a little extreme fr me but let me ask a few things and maybe the people who have the 1x9 setup can help me understand. As I got stronger this season I have found that even in the races I more or less leave my rear cog in 1 or 2 different gears and use my front a lot more for the reason that I needed a much bigger jump in gear size for drastic change in terrain which is quicker to do by just changing to a different chainring. In fact I never used to use my small chainring until I started doing this and found that it required less shifting by staying in a middle cog in the rear and just shifting the front. I imagine if you go 1x9 you are relying on possibly 5 rear gear shifts in a relatively short distance and I have found that most shifting problems are most likely going to be something with the rear derailer in one way or another especially in a race. So how do you guys deal when you need more of a drastic change on the spot? I thought about using a different gear ratio for my rear, in fact I started the season running a 12-25 rear (more of a road setup) and actually had no climbing problems at places like ringwood and blue mountain but before the race season started I chickened out and put back a more traditional cog because I somehow thought I was going to need something that wasn't there. Could running a different gear ratio cog set up get me what I am looking for in a 1x9? It seems a lot of you guys are really up on your gear ratios so I started to wonder if there was a better way of accomplishing what I have been doing. (I know some of you are tempted but don't say SS!) Thanks for your help.
I started reading this backwards from most recent and didn't want to sound like an idiot but when I read the early post about a 3 speed system I actually have been thinking along those lines but not knowing if it makes any sense or even doable. The link that was posted seems a little extreme fr me but let me ask a few things and maybe the people who have the 1x9 setup can help me understand. As I got stronger this season I have found that even in the races I more or less leave my rear cog in 1 or 2 different gears and use my front a lot more for the reason that I needed a much bigger jump in gear size for drastic change in terrain which is quicker to do by just changing to a different chainring. In fact I never used to use my small chainring until I started doing this and found that it required less shifting by staying in a middle cog in the rear and just shifting the front. I imagine if you go 1x9 you are relying on possibly 5 rear gear shifts in a relatively short distance and I have found that most shifting problems are most likely going to be something with the rear derailer in one way or another especially in a race. So how do you guys deal when you need more of a drastic change on the spot? I thought about using a different gear ratio for my rear, in fact I started the season running a 12-25 rear (more of a road setup) and actually had no climbing problems at places like ringwood and blue mountain but before the race season started I chickened out and put back a more traditional cog because I somehow thought I was going to need something that wasn't there. Could running a different gear ratio cog set up get me what I am looking for in a 1x9? It seems a lot of you guys are really up on your gear ratios so I started to wonder if there was a better way of accomplishing what I have been doing. (I know some of you are tempted but don't say SS!) Thanks for your help.
RNG1
Well-Known Member
I got hooked into this thread and am curious about a few things.
I started reading this backwards from most recent and didn't want to sound like an idiot but when I read the early post about a 3 speed system I actually have been thinking along those lines but not knowing if it makes any sense or even doable. The link that was posted seems a little extreme for me but let me ask a few things and maybe the people who have the 1x9 setup can help me understand. As I got stronger this season I have found that even in the races I more or less leave my rear cog in 1 or 2 different gears and use my front a lot more for the reason that I needed a much bigger jump in gear size for drastic change in terrain which is quicker to do by just changing to a different chainring. In fact I never used to use my small chainring until I started doing this and found that it required less shifting by staying in a middle cog in the rear and just shifting the front. I imagine if you go 1x9 you are relying on possibly 5 rear gear shifts in a relatively short distance and I have found that most shifting problems are most likely going to be something with the rear derailer in one way or another especially in a race. So how do you guys deal when you need more of a drastic change on the spot? I thought about using a different gear ratio for my rear, in fact I started the season running a 12-25 rear (more of a road setup) and actually had no climbing problems at places like ringwood and blue mountain but before the race season started I chickened out and put back a more traditional cog because I somehow thought I was going to need something that wasn't there. Could running a different gear ratio cog set up get me what I am looking for in a 1x9? It seems a lot of you guys are really up on your gear ratios so I started to wonder if there was a better way of accomplishing what I have been doing. (I know some of you are tempted but don't say SS!) Thanks for your help.
I started reading this backwards from most recent and didn't want to sound like an idiot but when I read the early post about a 3 speed system I actually have been thinking along those lines but not knowing if it makes any sense or even doable. The link that was posted seems a little extreme for me but let me ask a few things and maybe the people who have the 1x9 setup can help me understand. As I got stronger this season I have found that even in the races I more or less leave my rear cog in 1 or 2 different gears and use my front a lot more for the reason that I needed a much bigger jump in gear size for drastic change in terrain which is quicker to do by just changing to a different chainring. In fact I never used to use my small chainring until I started doing this and found that it required less shifting by staying in a middle cog in the rear and just shifting the front. I imagine if you go 1x9 you are relying on possibly 5 rear gear shifts in a relatively short distance and I have found that most shifting problems are most likely going to be something with the rear derailer in one way or another especially in a race. So how do you guys deal when you need more of a drastic change on the spot? I thought about using a different gear ratio for my rear, in fact I started the season running a 12-25 rear (more of a road setup) and actually had no climbing problems at places like ringwood and blue mountain but before the race season started I chickened out and put back a more traditional cog because I somehow thought I was going to need something that wasn't there. Could running a different gear ratio cog set up get me what I am looking for in a 1x9? It seems a lot of you guys are really up on your gear ratios so I started to wonder if there was a better way of accomplishing what I have been doing. (I know some of you are tempted but don't say SS!) Thanks for your help.
Shaggz
A strong 7
I'd appreciate any feedback from the dulie riders after spending some time on the 1x9 setup. I've been following Nelson's advice and am trying to stay out of the granny as much as possible. I'm at the point where I sometimes "need" the granny ring, but my cadence feels awkward when I actually use it. I have a 11-32 hub, and wonder if I should switch to 11-34 if I make the switch to 1x9.
Justin, I have a trance. Which setup would you rec for up front?
Justin, I have a trance. Which setup would you rec for up front?
I ran a blackguard up front on the trance and it was ok, I have 2008 XT cranks and I needed to space the chainrings better to get it to work flawlessly and had trouble finding bolts. If I took time to get the right chainring bolts, I would have kept it. I ended up just going back to a dual with bash when I switched to the rush.
don
Well-Known Member
I'm running the same BlackSpire BlackGuard on my Sinister sussy rig. It works nicely after farting around with spacing and all that. I might change to a cut down e.13 setup that I have laying around. It would be nice to get the chain a little tighter for jumps and drops where the BlackGuard has dropped a chain.
http://www.qbike.com/product/b/Blackspire-Blackguard-Chain-Guide-Inner.shtml
NJ-XC-Justin
KY-DH-Freddy
Shaggz - The blackspire plates (blackguard for the inside and lite god for the outside) are no-brainers since they don't weigh a lot and are simple to use. The one drawback to a "sandwich system" is that leaves and dirt get caught in there so you have to spend a couple minutes to clean it out after rides. Another option is the more 4cross-style chain device like the stinger:
http://www.pricepoint.com/detail/15...Tensioners/Blackspire-Stinger-Chain-Guide.htm
This is the style that Adam won Nat'ls on, and you see it more on DH, 4X and SuperD but that doesn't mean it's not a great XC option (obviously, with a Natl win). It's cheap too - -I was thinking about grabbing one myself and trying it out. It does not protect your chain though, so if you bash rocks you'll potentially damage your chainring.
And yep, I recommend the 34-tooth cog out back. Helps with the hills. But give it a shot first with your present system.
NJ-XC-Justin
KY-DH-Freddy
of course -- you just need something for the inside of the ring as well. you could try the n-gear jumpstop but those are more made for hardtails. still its just a $10 risk. If it doesn't work grab the blackguard.
don
Well-Known Member
I'd pull the granny gear off and front der and run the middle and the RF rock ring. I've done that before and it will work. You might pop off the chain every once in a while but it will be easy to flip back on. That setup will be a good gauge on how smooth a rider you are
don
Well-Known Member
I think the smallest 104 BCD you can get is 32T. I think that with a 11-34T cassette (if you are running 9 speed) should get the gearing low enough for most anything.
If you have a 5 bolt cranks with a inner 74 BCD you could go 28T - although alignment could be an issue.
You could run BMX cranks and get almost any size chainwheel but that would be costly and most likely add a little weight. And with almost of them, you can't run bashguards. There also might be a trials crankset option.
I'd say get a SS specific (Salsa make nice ones) 32T front ring. And use whatever you have in the back for now. If it's too tough then get a bigger cassette range (11-34T).
FWIW's I rode with some locals up in Stowe, VT last week. I had a 1x8 with a 32T front and 11-32T rear on a 33lb squishy bike. We did a bunch of climbing and I haven't been riding much this summer. I wasn't do great but was able to keep up for the most part and if I was in better shape it would have been a great gear range. Of course the leader was running SS but those are Vermont riders for ya.