RaceFace 104mm Single Chain Ring

I agree with the other reviews, I should have done this years ago. I bought this to replace all the chain rings on my triple to give me a 1x9 setup. As for hills I did not have any problems as the 30T is slightly smaller then my old middle ring. I did find that I was not able to get into a high enough gear for a few downhill locations if I wanted to go absurdly fast, but that is something I can live without. For some reason my FSA crank used non standard chainring bolts so I did need to buy a new set of those, but I did not need any spacers.

Awesome!! no more chain drops very good product!!

Never really come of the big chainwheel, and when I did, sometimes forget that I had because I habitually got back up to speed using the rear gearing. Decided to go from a 3x9 set up to a 1x9 set up. 38 teeth is right between the 44 and 32 toothed rings it replaced. Smoother, less complex and lines up with the rear gearing better than the 44 tooth ring did.

Great product no chain drop even in some crazy down hill action. Easy to install and works fn great

Summary: Like others have said, if you are going back and forth on this chain ring, or cant decide, just buy it already! Chain ring installed easily and I was out on the trails in no time. I didnt want to have to swap out my rear derailleur or cassette, so I went with the 30t chain ring to give me almost the same gear ratio coverage as I had with a 3x10 setup. After riding a couple of times I know there will be some really steep climbs that will be tough in the lowest gear, but the simplicity and cleanliness of the 1x10 setup is well worth the extra effort from time to time. In Depth: I ride a 2012 Trek Fuel EX 8 that came with the standard (at the time) 3x10 setup. I have a non-clutch Shimano XT rear derailleur and an 11-36 cassette. Ive always wanted to convert to 1x but couldnt justify pulling off perfectly good parts. Ive been away from mountain biking for a couple of years and recently went into a local bike shop. I was blown away that all of the new bikes come with 1x11. My crank was starting to creak and my front derailleur was acting up so I figured it was time to overhaul the crank and I figured Id convert to 1x10 and save the hassle of trying to get my front derailleur dialed in. I decided on this chain ring because after researching it was the cheapest and simplest way to get a 1x drivetrain. I pulled off the stock deore crank and gave it a good deep cleaning. I removed the chainrings which is pretty simple. I didnt need the special tool to hold the back side of the chain ring bolts (I have enough single use tools so I try to avoid buying them where possible). The Race Face chain ring itself is a very nice piece of equipment. It is very nicely machined and is super lightweight. The red anodized version is beautiful and the graphics arent too over the top. If you are installing a small ring in front (30-32t), you will almost certainly need to remove your crank to get it on. I wanted to install with the plain side facing out, but mine could only be installed with the Race Face graphics facing out. The raised bolt holes fit perfectly into the crank. I was also able to reuse 4 of the stock bolts I removed earlier. I was afraid I was going to have to buy longer bolts but didnt need to. I installed the crank, shortened the chain a little bit (i think it was 2 or 4 links) and was ready to go. First time I rode this I was blown away at the reduction in chain slap and other drive train noises I had gotten used to. I was concerned because I dont have one of the new clutched derailleurs, but the chain hasnt come off or slipped once. Ive been riding a lot of technical single track with roots and rocks and the chain stays on perfectly. It will make a little bit of chain noise when you get into the largest or smallest cog in the back but thats pretty typical. Im happy I chose the 30t too. After using an online gear ratio calculator I realized I was only losing my top 2 and bottom 2 gears. I can live without those especially with how much cleaner and simpler my bike is. All in all this is a great piece and Id highly recommend it to anyone on the fence. I was amazed that I could convert to 1x for only $40 and am so glad I did.

Works great, Fast shipping....

nice

Never dropped a chain! I have only done about 100 miles with it on my 1x10 steel hard tail on rough terrain, but have not had any problems. I also have a good friend who has ridden this chain ring on his 160mm fs am bike and he has never dropped a chain either.

perfect

Love it. Havent dropped my chain since I installed it. Shifts great. Although its always a revelation realizing Im out of gears on a steep climb. Super light.