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1x9 conversion
Has anyone else used the widgit? http://www.widgit.com.au/
Recently while looking at some posts on 2x9 conversion I stumbled upon the wigget...
So having worn out 3 middle rings (my bikes way of telling me that the chain ring is worn is when i stand up to grind and the chain slips over the crank.. a very nasty sound) in 12 months and almost never using the big cog and only really using granny because I'm lazy and I can, so began my internal debating over a 2x9 or 1x9 setup for my "red hill" bike..
However the benefit (strength training) of forcing myself to not use the granny and the seemingly simplistic idea of using a single chain ring ( that's supposed to be cut from more durable stainless ) won me over in the end, so cut to today; having just put the 28T widgit on my DB, my immediate impression is that its a little noisy, this seems because the guide is pretty much in constant contact with the chain.. so now I'm wondering about durability? I guess I'll know in 6 months or so 
on top of this I'm still running the long cage derailleur, so I expect a little bit of chain slap but have a medium to put on if I have to.
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I toy with the idea from time to time and if I did build a 1 x 9 I would probably go this route.
http://www.paulcomp.com/chainkeeper.html
This is a nice light simple solution for 1 x 9 chain issues.
With my commuter which is a mongoose Hybrid I took out the cabling on the front derailer then grinded the big ring off with a angle grinder the used the derailer as my chain guide , so you can say it is a 8x 1 . It is doing the job too for now
I just bought an MRP 1.X guide for my bike. Putting it on next week so it should be sorted for the Sydney 24.
The MRP guide looks pretty simple in the flesh and weighs next to nothing. Can't see any reason why it won't work well.
Now it's 2x9 but with a polycarbonate bash guard instead of a big dog. Increased 'middle' ring. I now have more clearance over logs/rocks and it won't rip my leg up, or the log/rock. If I was going to try 1x9 again (which i did for 6 months) i'd go with the MRP. I think it's exactly what I needed at the time.
maybe one day I'll get one.
I recently purchased the Jumpstop - $15 delivered, and the guy even sends it out free from the US for you to try before you buy. If you like it, just send the money by PayPal. Great customer service. Haven't fitted it yet as I'm running singlespeed but wanted a 1x9 option. Looks good though and easy to set up.
Just did red hill with the 1x9 setup, first impressions are that its perfect for that kind of ride, and thoughts are that I'll really never need or want to go back to more than one ring on the crank for my red hill style of riding. I was thinking that the 28/34 combo may not work that well on the few climbs up there but it worked a treat and the 28/11 was fast enough on the flat and down hill bits.
Next to give manly dam a shot and see how it feels on a more balanced kind of XC ride ( fast flowing sections and a good short climb ).
i run a 1x9 with the MRP1.x and it works well. ive dropped the chain twice, only because i was pedalling backwards over bumpy stuff. i wasnt actually pedalling backwards, i was just repositioning my feet around the bottom bracket as the corners changed from left to right and back again. now im used to doing that with a forward pedalling motion and havent dropped it since.
i highly recommend the short cage derailleur though with 1x9 setup the medium works well for 2x9, and the long for 3x9.
http://www.anikafoundation.com/serving/IMG_8697.jpg
i have a brand new SRAM X9 short cage for $80 in classifieds if youre interested.
Just put the MRP1.X on my new bike. Haven't ridden it yet but it looks very neat.
32 ring looks very small all by its self, but I will see how I get on with it and the hills before I think about going to a 34 or 36 tooth setup.