MRP 1.X Chain Device

Once set up, there's no noise in any of the gears, unless the bike's covered in mud, by which point you don't really mind because everyone around you is getting clogged up and suffering from chainsuck. Another bonus is the extra clearance when hopping over logs that would usually see you smashing teeth from your outer ring. Designed as a chain retention device for XC riding it allows you to run a single ring up front, dispensing with the other 2 rings, front mech, shifter and cable in the process to save precious grams in the eternal quest for a lighter bike.

The downside is that the superlight 9 speed 11-28 cassette you're currently running will need to be replaced with something heavier that has a wider range of sprockets i.e. 11-34. Or if you've got deep pockets, a SRAM XX 11-36 ten speed cassette would be even better, shame it costs £300!

 

Is it practical? The start of the race season had me back on a full complement of gears, but I swapped back to the simplicity of 1x9 half way through. On a 26" wheeled bike, the chainring to use if you have the legs is a 36t, on my 29er with the bigger wheels increasing the gear inches I opted for a 34t. This gives a wide enough range of gears to handle any English race course (haven't done any Welsh or Scottish XC's this year to compare). I've got to be going over 40kmph to spin out the largest gear and the smallest will get you up most climbs, although probably not spinning a nice smooth, fast cadence!

 

Summary: If you race your mountain bike in proper mountains, then one of these is about as useful as a 400g semi slick tyre, but for everyone else I think it makes a lot of sense and if you've already taken off your granny ring 'because you never use it' then it's the next  logical step particularly once more ten speed kit is available.

 

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