Hi,
I've built my wife a hardtail that uses a 1x front chainring with an old 9 speed LX rear mech and a wolf tooth style mech extender that I had.
The chain length seems right.
A few times, when shifting into the gears at the top of the cassette she has dropped the chain, from the chainring.
I see two options - a chain catcher or a rear mech with clutch / stronger spring to better hold chain tension.
Her bike takes a band on front mech.
Something like this?
https://www.decathlon.co.uk/p/chain-catcher/_/R-p-164793?mc=8487063
Or would a (presumably) cheap ebay 9 speed XT rear mech be any better?
Is it running a NW ring? If not, I'd be looking at that before the mech. I've accidentally left the clutch off on various mechs and haven't lost a chain in that time.
Had the same issue with my 1x9 setup. Bought a cheap chain guide off eBay and problem sorted 😁
Same here, my 1x11 experiment started with a cheap steel 1x ring (more likely optimsed for a singlespeed), switching to a NW has eliminated the (off road) chain drops i had.
The ex has doubled up, chain guide and NW.
9 speed rear mechs won’t have a clutch, unless it’s one of the newer Microshift 9 speed wide range jobbies.
Top mounted chain guide, a static front mech (adjusted to keep the chain on, no shifter) or a narrow / wide chain ring.
The chain Cather you linked to won’t stop the chain falling off, it will just stop it from landing on the BB shell and or crank.
I also found that Chain retention (with a N/W on a 9 speed drivetrain) is improved by using a 10 or 11 speed chain. My theory is that the wide section plates being closer together helps mesh better with the wide teeth of the N/W ring and the narrower chain is slightly more able to deflect laterally instead of riding off the chainring when at the top or bottom end of the cassette. If that makes sense.
Check the freehub's spinning ok, my OH had a problem where the chain would come off in higher gears and it turned out the freehub was sticky and 'pushing' the chain off the front ring.
For me a NW chain wasn't enough without the chain guide.
My mountain bike started shedding the chain when the bottom bracket developed play
NW ring and narrower chain worked for me. No need for a clutch. This was off road in the Peak.
Thanks for the replies.
It is a narrow wide chaining, but doesnt look as extreme between narrow and wide as those on my bikes. Its this from Aliexpress:
https://www.aliexpress.com/item/4000278469683.html?spm=a2g0o.detail.1000023.4.74a632cbDCeOmZ
A chain guide seems the cheapest option - any recommendations on type please?
She doesnt ride the bike much, only really on the road, but I get ear ache when it comes off....
When I went 1x on a 9 speed I had chain drop issues even with a hope narrow wide - although I had to be bouncing around quite a lot.
Chucked one of these on to fix it. Not this exact one, but this style.
https://www.tredz.co.uk/.Gusset-Lil-Chap-Chain-Device_59664.htm
Chose this one as it had fewest bolts, so less to move out of line when I eventually cock up and kick it.
I went for something like this. Cheap, cheerful, amd worked for me.
