Wednesday, May 22, 2013

Too sexy for a chainguide? Or not sexy enough?

So I was pretty excited about joining the modern world and using a clutch rear derailleur. No more dropped chains! No more chainslap!

And for a while, it worked out. Then I figured out how to ride Stupidmobile moderately fast and all of a sudden - every ride down Bobsled was chainless. Fun.


Sexy LX cranks from 2004 or something...

Back to the chainguide, I guess. Chalk it up to the weirdness of the chain angle on a 40cm chainstay frame, or to my incompetence, or whatever you want. I like to be able to pedal...

And yes, that's a practically new bike. Matte black. Yet to be washed. Crashed, many times. And I wonder why I don't attract the $10,000 road bike crowd...

6 comments:

dicky said...

Get that Wolftooth ring and get rid of that guide!!!!!

minh said...

I'm still going to leave mine off since there is little chance I'll be anywhere near what is considered "fast".

Walt said...

Meh, $75 chainring that might or might not keep the chain on, or stuff I already have sitting around for free that will?

When I kill the chainring, maybe. I don't think the tooth profile has that big of an effect, either. I could be wrong.

Anonymous said...


Thanks for the post. I was going to try that setup soon but now I'll just wait to buy a clutch rear derailleur until my current short cage X9 blows up...

dicky said...

My brief time on XX1 proved to be quite enlightening. That tooth profile really grabs the chain. It's silly.

I'm sure you could get an industry wink/nod/wink it you started spec'ing them.

They aren't kidding when they say XX1 is a game changer. Just not my game.

Walt said...

Dicky, your game is shuffleboard. Don't ever comment again. Sheesh.