We haven't had the best of luck with dual ring guides in years past, with most of our experience involving noisy guides that wore out quickly and required constant attention, so we were understandably hesitant about the X-Guide. Our concerns proved to be unfounded, though, with the Truvativ dual ring system performing reliably and noise free. Setup is painless thanks to the lower slider's single bolt attachment, taking only a few minutes to adjust. Added drivetrain friction feels negligible when spinning the cranks by hand, meaning that there isn't a chance that you'll feel it through your legs. This is where the twin pulley wheels come in, each one located exactly inline with the chain rings, giving it a much freer feel than if the chain was being tensioned by a solid stepped roller. The X-Guide also refused to jam when back pedalling, unlike a dual ring guide that depends on a sliding lower roller that self positions. And while it will never be as quiet as a single ring and chain guide setup, it worked well at keeping the noise to a minimum on our Trek Slash test bike. Shifting over the chain rings felt as quick as ever, with no delay due to the added chain tension. We will admit that we have yet to miscalculate bad enough to put the skid plate to the test, but it looks to be up to the task of defending the chain rings from any grievous harm. The X-Guide will make a great addition to any rider's bike who wants to stick with two rings, but who also needs the security of a proper guide. - Mike Levy |
While the Vault may not be the coolest accessory out there, it certainly comes in handy. Many riders are happy to leave their phone behind, but we always feel much safer (especially when riding solo) to bring it along. The Vault keeps it within reach in case of an emergency, but was also great for when we wanted to snap a quick photo, be it with our phone or a small point-and-shoot camera. The hook and loop enclosure never opened once, and we quickly stopped worrying about it falling off during a ride - this thing is secure. It did rock back and forth a bit when holding a heavy multi-tool, but that is likely a function of how wide the backpack's shoulder straps are. We'd like to see it slightly larger to fit phones that are already in a protective case - a naked iPhone 4 fits quite snuggly - or even just older, larger cell phones. A slightly larger size would also allow different cameras to fit, not just the slimmest point-and-shoot models. At just $10.99 the Vault is a small accessory that makes sense for anyone who wants quick access to their phone or camera, however you will want to be sure that whatever it is that you plan on putting in it will fit. - Mike Levy |
Everyone in the PB office are fans of thin gloves - we like that 'not there' feeling that makes the grips feel as if they are part of our paws. The Ruckus' single layer Maxkin palm provides exactly that. The minimalistic palm material is just one small step up from going gloveless, minus the blisters and ripped up hands from crashing. We especially like the small pad on the outside edge of the palm that is perfectly positioned to insulate your hand from the metal outer collar found on many lock-on grips. Flip the Sombrio gloves over and you'll find a sturdy Nylon top and two thick rubber segments for protection. While the smaller rubber bumper that is positioned over top of the outer two knuckles makes complete sense (it protects those knuckles from tree strikes), we have to question the larger rubber pad in the middle of the hand - it looks to be a case of fashion over function, to be honest. Glove fit is always going to be a personal thing that varies from rider to rider, but we found the Ruckus to fit a bit too snuggly across width of the palm when compared to the countless other gloves that we've used. A larger size isn't the answer, given that the finger length felt to be spot on with our mediums. The cuff also fit quite loose, almost like they were meant to be on an extra large size instead of our medium Ruckus'. Their unique looks and smart palm layout make the Ruckus glove worth recommending, but you'll definitely want to give them a test fit before purchasing. - Mike Levy |
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Why this guide over a roller style guide? Here are three (of many) reasons....
1) Roller-style guides cannot be used with 120BCD (SRAM) or 88BCD (Shimano) 2x10 style cranks because you cannot mount a bashguard to crank.
2) The pulley design is quieter and produces less friction than a roller.
3) This design is considerably lighter than a roller-style guide and bash guard.
However, these guides (MRP 2x and Truvativ X-guide) currently require at least a 36t chainring (though people are reporting using them with 34t without issue) - so if you want to keep gearing low (like 32/22) a roller-style guide is currently the only "approved" option.
Cheers
It is much quieter and works so much better than the old school Crud Products DCD (Dave's Chain Device) I used back in the day, remember them?.
In fact I quite like the quiet little whuring sound my E*Thirteens make. When I pedal there is a quiet purr from the chain guide, then when I stop a loud clicking kicks in from my Hope freehub.
Anyone has had frequent chain loss up top using X-guide/MRP 2x?
1. If the front derailleur is not adjusted properly you can shift off the big ring and the chain will foul in the guide and likely break the bottom plate if you don't stop cranking immediately. Disassembly required to unfoul chain.
2. Do not over tighten the screw as the weak plastic plate mount will crack. Common sense I know but damn its not hard to do.
3. Don't seem to be able to get a replacement plate with XO paint job - no biggy I guess, just liked the intended look on the Slash. $12~$20 part but freight from US puts it up over $50. Crazy. Can get from UK for same price but reasonable freight.
4. On descents the chain often falls off the big dog to the smaller ring. Not sure if the guide is involved in this VERY annoying problem. Found another thread on this but the guy had no luck fixing it and decided to go 1x10. Quote: "I've currently got a X9 2x10 set up. Except I'm having some issues with my chain coming off the front rings over bumpy stuff. So any braking bumps or longer rock/root gardens the chain will drop to the smaller ring, even though the derailieur is still set to the dog cog. I'm taken to my LBS and the mechanic doesn't know why its falling off. We're tightened the cable to the point it doesn't even shift to the granny, and it still bounces off." Interested if others experieced this and can provide advice.
If interested, here's the link to the thread:
www.rotorburn.com/forums/showthread.php?237379-Chain-Guides-with-GXP-Bottom-brackets
But then again you said that it "was a sample sram gave to my friends...". Is there a possibility that it was pre-production? Maybe not set up correctly?
I noticed that with very little material trimming a G2/SL and a G2 lower can be interchanged. Thought maybe this could be repurposed. thanks for the info
www.sram.com/sites/default/files/images/products/accessories/truvativ_xguide_black_my12_lrg.jpg
Blackspire is an awesome guide too, but is that weight with the bash guard ? [ ps. interesting, both guides are based on the same principal of no moving parts and virtually no wear and i believe Straitline came first - ahh well, chicken or the egg, it's all good...EH ! ]
thx
thx
-Phone
-ID+license
-Car keys
Anyone aware of something like this?
www.pelican-case.com/ipod-cases.html
www.pelicancasestore.com/index.cfm?category=3
The Micro cases and "iPod cases" all are about in the range ya'll are looking for!
I used one RELIGIOUSLY in Afghanistan for sensitive gear, and I own a total of 7...
Different sizes, as well as colors!
Thanks