Bash Guard vs Chain Guide

[Evan Baird]

Since everybody and their momma is running 1x drivetrain now, I wonder if anybody has an opinion about bashrings. I used to ride an e.13 polycarbonate ring with a lower roller pully, but not upper cage and for the most part it worked really well. Now that all these new derailers have locking features I never see chainguides anymore, but arent people worried about smashing their rings on stuff? I've been looking at these ISCG fixed plates for a minute and it seems like the best alternative to a full ring guard, but maybe somebody has tried one?

http://www.mrpbike.com/xcg-v2/

[Mark McGrath]

What bike are you thinking of using this on?  Like a 650b+ mountain bike or something?

On Thu, Jul 21, 2016 at 3:32 PM, Evan Baird <vanst...@gmail.com> wrote:

Since everybody and their momma is running 1x drivetrain now, I wonder if anybody has an opinion about bashrings. I used to ride an e.13 polycarbonate ring with a lower roller pully, but not upper cage and for the most part it worked really well. Now that all these new derailers have locking features I never see chainguides anymore, but arent people worried about smashing their rings on stuff? I've been looking at these ISCG fixed plates for a minute and it seems like the best alternative to a full ring guard, but maybe somebody has tried one?

http://www.mrpbike.com/xcg-v2/

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[Evan Baird]

Anything. I've been riding the Ulv which probably has too low a bb for this to work, but you know, I have stuff on the back burner most of the time.

[HillDancer]

A chain guide serves a different purpose than a bash guard.  One is no more likely to have 1X chainring strike than 2X.  Most outer rings on a 2X are larger diameter than 1X, because tooth count on a 1X is dictated by low-gear ratio needs. 

As you alluded to, a clutch equipped RD mitigates chain drop somewhat, so a chain guide becomes less essential with that type RD.  Have you dropped a chain without FD shifting involved?  In cyclocross racing chain drops in 1X are most often caused by slamming the bike down hard after carrying it, not when riding rough stuff.

BTW, the cage "lock" on a SRAM clutch equipped RD is extremely useful.

[Evan Baird]

It used to be that the bashrings were pretty integral to the whole shebang.

I started running 1x8 drivetrains around 2002 or thereabouts, and the rear derailleurs at the time completely sucked at keeping the chain on. I ultimately converted to full single speed with a Singulator because I could run it with the spring pulling up. I've experimented more recently with a low end Sunrace RD an the Paul Chain Keeper which turned out to be a total disaster. Overall the Rival 1 works great, but I have dropped it a couple times and broken pins a couple times now, which makes me a little hesitant to run an 11spd drivetrain on unsupported tours. So basically trying to figure out how to get a wide range 1x8 to work better. My Sandworm proto has ISCG tabs which is the main rason I was thinking about the bash guide in the first place.

[satanas]

FWIW: There are off-the-peg clutched rear derailleur solutions for 10 & 11 speed, but there was a guy on the mtbr forums selling a widget to get SRAM 10 speed RDs to index with 9 speed bits. If you're prepared to live with 9 speeds that may be an option. Sorry I don't have a link - it was a couple of years ago now.

Otherwise there may be some combo of shifter + Shiftmate/Tanpan + RD that might work with 8. Or you could use a friction shifter...

Later,
Stephen

[Philip Kim]

agree, 1x no more likely to smash rings than a 2x. 1x also sits in-board more for better chain-line.

i can only comment on wolftooth - never used any other because i never felt like i had to make a switch. they recommend clutch, which would be the surest way of avoiding chain dropping.

old mtb had a 1x9 mountain set up, wolftooth ring, no bash, chain guide, or clutch. Had a couple of chain drops on rocky and root trails in the blue ridge mtns, but more groomed trails local to DC, wasn't a problem.

gf's san marcos has a 1x9 wide road set up, no bash, no chain guide, or clutch. using a 10spd shimano 105 RD on a wolftooth roadlink. no chain drops for this one, but never sees trails.

I still prefer 2x.

[HillDancer]

On Friday, July 22, 2016 at 2:35:11 AM UTC-5, Evan Baird wrote:

...Overall the Rival 1 works great, but I have dropped it a couple times and broken pins a couple times...

What are "broken pins"? 

An ISCG mounted bash guard with added chain guide would cover both basses as you suspect.

[samkate...@gmail.com]

I ran bashguards for a long time. But here in the Pacific Northwest the move to 1 x 10 or 11 has meant tiny 30 or 32 tooth single chainrings.  That and the amount of grooming some of the trails get means chainring damage is rare these days.  The Giant Trance 2 bikes we sell at our shop still come with one of the ISCG fixed plates you mentioned, but most riders have been taking them off.  If I was using a bigger ring I'd consider it again, but the 30 tooth barely noses out past the spider.

-Sam
Olympia, Washington

[HillDancer]

Bashing entertainment.

http://www.bikerumor.com/2016/08/09/oneup-tests-new-bash-guide-will-it-smash/#more-134902