Thread: 1x9 Conversion Help...Chainkeeper/guide/bashguard etc

Getting back into mtn biking and just picked up a 2000 Cannondale F3000 SL. I'm converting it to 1x9 (29 x 12-34) and I'm a bit lost as to how to deal with the chain issues. Right now it's setup as a 1x1 and I have all OE parts (2x9 XTR). I want a bash guard and when I rode before I always just used the big chain ring as a bash guard/log grabber. So how should I do this? I've read that a front derailleur doesn't work well as a chain guide for 1x9...true? Should I use a seat tube mounted chain keeper?...chain guide? I was thinking about grinding the teeth down a bit on the 44T chain ring that I don't use and mounting it as a bash guard. Is a true bash guard better? I need to get a short RD and shorten the chain as much as possible too right? Thanks.

I run a xcx from e.13.

http://www.e13components.com/product_xcx.html

You can't run a bashguard but it works flawlessly. Don't worry about getting a shorter cage derailleur until you break the one you have now.

google c-guide as well, to retain the bottom of the chainring.

or just get a lopes bb-mount guide, which works well too.

just make sure they will all fit a 29t or 30t CR.

I run 1X9 with no bash guard or chain guide. I just made sure my chain line was center of the rear cassette and that my chain was as short as possble. When I am on the big sprocket, my rear derailleur is almost horizontal to the front of the bike. The Sheldon Brown web page gave me the info about chain length. My bike is totally rigid so I tend to ride rather slow and I haven't had any chain throwing issues.

I went with the BBG bashwich. Cheap. Not perfect. Slick looking.
Standard bashguard in leiu of big chainring. This part works flawlessly and the chain never falls off to the outside.
Special inner bashguard in leiu of the small chainring. Two problems here: 1.the ring is half as thick as the standard ring to save weight. This results in it bending all over the fucking place. 2.there's too big a gap between the middle ring and the inner bashguard. This allows the chain to fall in and get jammed way the fuck up in there.

I tried the tight chain with no bashguard 5 or 6 years ago when I set-up my 1X9. The chain fell off every once and a while and didn't think it was a big deal, just a little bothersome. Then one day I was bombing down Phil's canyon and my chain fell off and went into my spokes. After that experience and aftermath, I would highly recommend a bashguard and something like a third-eye(chain guide). Don't know why a larger chainring wouldn't work on the outside. I have a short RD, but if you end up with the bashguard/chainkepper, I wouldn't think it would be necessary to get one.

BTW, how are you pulling this off with a 29T chainring?

Originally Posted by jm2e

BTW, how are you pulling this off with a 29T chainring?

That's just what I have. The more I ride the setup I have now (29 x 14) the more I'm realizing I should tweak the 1x setup. Maybe a 32T. I may swap the 12 for an 11 too. I'd love to keep the 29T since making it up is more important to me than flying down. Is there a 10T available? Maybe I could go 29 x 10-34 and lose the 12...if they make one. My wife is gonna squirt a pup out any minute now so I won't be doing this for a couple of weeks at least so I have some time to think about how I really want to do it

I would love to have a 29t ring up front, but I think one would need a crank with a 5 arm spider as opposed to a standard 4 arm MTB spider. I have seen some 30t rings that need some grinding work done on your spider arms to get them fit, but I am too cheap and my current rig works pretty good for my needs.

Have a 33 tooth Blackspire single speed chainring and truvativ Bashguard from my previous single speed. Had it on my 1X9, but went with a 34 tooth ring up front. You're welcome to them for whatever shipping is. One of the teeth are missing on the Blackspire (didn't even notice until I removed it).

Enough people have hooked me up and I'm a believer in paying it forward. Standard 4 bolt by 104. booner- shoot me a pm

I run 2x9 with 29/42 with 11-34 rear. I considered 1x9 with 29, and ran 29t with no shifting for a while, but I thought it was too small. Also, it's going to get harder to find 29t 5-bolt rings (or 5-bolt rings in general).

FWIW, if anyone needs a 5-bolt 34t 94bcd Blackspire Pro ring, let me know. I picked it up from mntlion for $20, but don't think I'll use it.

If you want to run a bashguard, the lightest, simplest solution is a bash mounted on the outer tabs with an n-gear jumpstop mounted on the seattube (which prevents derailment to the inside). I run a 1x9 with no bash using the mrp 1.x bottom bracket mount, which is sweet, light and cheap. Just depends if you need the bashguard. The jumpstop is only about $10 and does the job well from what I hear.

Actually, I posted that I used a third-eye but this is not correct. It is the N-gear jumpstop. Has worked great.

Garuda, you can add a c.Guide for full chain retention as well

The 29t is from when C-dale was playing with their own 2x front drive stuff. I think they were doing a 29/42 combo, on a 94mm BCD crank.

Keep your 29t ring, grab any 94mm BCD bash you like (or just stick with the big ring on there - grind or cut the teeth of if you want a sano look) and get a Jump Stop. Surly makes an unramped 30t ring to fit your crank, and when your current cassette dies, you could bump the new one up to one of the ones with a 36t low. A nice range for most general riding, especially if you're already used to staying int he 29t most of the time.

http://n-gear.com/whatis.html

Cheap, light, and on a hardtail it works freakin' awesome in general.

Otherwise, I've used both the Paul guide and the XCX guide with my hardtail 1x setups, and they work as well, but cost much more. Their only advantage is having a top bit to really keep the chain from bouncing around. (but, you have to Dremel or cut down the outer guide bits to make them work with a bash ring - I've done this with both and had no ill effects) However, it's really not a bit deal on most hardtails - I've used Jump Stops for quite a few years with really only a handful of chaindrops that I can recall.

Just discovered that action-tec site. They have 9-speed 11-34/36/38/39. Spendy stuff, but you could do some fun stuff. A 36-38 x 11/36-39 setup sounds fun