MRP Releases New Chainguide Lineup

Feb 24, 2023 at 16:42
by MRP Bike  
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PRESS RELEASE: MRP

MRP, the originators of the chainguide and trailblazers in drivetrain protection, have completely redesigned their best-selling 1x and AMg guides, and released the brand new GCX for gravel and cyclocross. The goal?Create the highest-performing, most user-friendly guides on the market.

bigquotesWith these latest guides, we wanted to make assembly simple, adjustment easy, and deliver a product that works incredibly well and is exciting to put on your bike.—Sean Mailen, Senior Design Engineer for MRP

Chainguides aren’t exactly known for being exciting, but these ones have a few tricks up their sleeve.


Fast, Frustration-Free, & Future-Proofed
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4-way, front-accessibility
The “Forefront” feature allows for 4-way, front-accessible setup and adjustment. This broad adjustability makes installation less “trial-and-error” and more “set-and-forget.”

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Tool-free chain access
The “Pop-Up” feature allows for tool-free chain access - simplifying installation and drivetrain maintenance. The guide pops-up and snaps shut with satisfying and secure clicks. Simplicity without sacrificing security.
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Refined & future-proofed
The new upper guide has been refined for perfect compatibility for the bikes of today and tomorrow. 26% smaller than our previous upper guide for more discreet aesthetics. The interior is lined with noise-cancelling material to eliminate any chance of rattling. It has been internally sculpted to eradicate any rubbing with today’s wide chainlines and super wide ratio cassettes.



The New Lineup

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AMG for All-Mountain / Enduro

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bigquotesA feature of the new AMg I particularly like is the shared backplate between the small 28-32t and large 32-36t size options. I often swap between a 30t chainring for general riding and a 34t chainring for enduro racing and bike parks. That used to necessitate swapping chainguides completely, but now it just requires swapping between the small and new large bashguard. I'm also happy to see hardware spacers eliminated, or at the very least greatly minimized, in setup. I've spent way too much time in my life scouring shop floors or race pits looking for 1mm washers.—Noah Sears, VP of Product
AMg Guide at a Glance:
Intended use: All-Mountain & Enduro

Features: Forefront & Pop-Up

Bashguard: Yes

Chainring Range: 28-32t or 32-36t options

Available in: SL (alloy) and SLR (carbon)

Used by:
Giant, Trek, & Nukeproof-SRAM Factory Racing Teams

Weight: 86 - 109 g

Pricing:
AMg SL: $99.95, £109.99
AMg SLR: $159.95, £179.99


1x for XC / Trail

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bigquotesThe new BB-Mount option is particularly noteworthy. The new upper guide adjustment system, Forefront, makes it compatible with a variety of chainlines. With today’s down-country bikes, like my Revel Ranger that don’t have ISCG-05 tabs, I’ve found this guide incredibly useful. Before, no option existed for me to run a guide.—Sean Mailen, Senior Design Engineer
1x Guide at a Glance:
Intended use: XC & Trail

Features: Forefront & Pop-Up

Mounting Options: ISCG-05 & BB-Mount

Chainring Range: 28-38t

Available in: SL (alloy) and SLR (carbon)

Used by:Trek Factory Racing

Weight: 31 - 40 g

Pricing:
1x SL: $74.95, £84.99
1x SLR: $99.95, £109.99


GCX for Gravel & Cyclocross

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bigquotesA dropped chain always sucks, but it's an absolute nightmare in a gravel race — where you’ll be waving goodbye to the group while you stop to reinstall your chain. It’s a scenario we’ve heard of from an increasing number of gravel racers as that discipline has exploded in the last few years. Surprise pot holes, washboard roads, and sloppy conditions are all common culprits that can send unsecured chains off the chainring. The new GCX keeps your chain on, and keeps you in the race!—Veda Gerasimek, Marketing Manager
GCX Guide at a Glance:
Intended use: Gravel & Cyclocross

Features: Pop-Up

Chainring Range: 38-46t

Used by: Sarah Sturm

Weight: 29 g

Pricing: $74.95, £79.99


The new chainguides are available now. Shop at mrpbike.com.

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85 Comments
  • 40 5
 "With today’s down-country bikes, like my Revel Ranger that don’t have ISCG-05 tabs, I’ve found this guide incredibly useful. Before, no option existed for me to run a guide."

May I direct you to your own website Wink

mrpbike.com/products/iscg-05-adapter

These sorts of things have been available since the dawn of chain guides!
  • 14 1
 I don't think they're denying the existence of adapters (including their own), but instead highlighting that a lightweight all-in-one solution is pretty sweet.
  • 2 0
 Yeah, though fair enough this may be a more lean solution for those who just want a guide without bash protection. They don't need to install the adaptor in between. That said, I can imagine it would be quite tricky to install the unit just right. If you've got ISCG05 tabs (on the frame or adaptor), you can rotate the guide to some extend until it is perfect and only fully tighten the bolts then. Here you need to keep it in place as you tighten the bb cup. I can see this be pretty annoying. Luckily the alternative (of using said adaptor or just getting a frame with the tabs right away) is still there Smile .
  • 7 2
 @uncanny: "Before, no option existed for me to run a guide"

They've been around forever, or at least 10+ years without needing an adapter.

dirtmountainbike.com/dirt-100-2015/2012-dirt-100-superstar-xcr-single-ring-chainguide
  • 11 0
 Yeah, ISCG-05 adapters (at least ours) don't work so well with carbon bikes. You need 5mm of thread engagement so you can bolt the guide to it, so it needs to be at least that thick. IIRC, the BB spacers the adapter replaces are meant to be 2.5mm thick – so you gotta put that additional 2.5mm of material either behind the adapter or in front of it. We put it behind the adapter so you can still flush-mount the guide if necessary. If you put that material in front of the adapter, you're pushing the guide out a minimum of 2.5mm – pushing it out too far for a lot of cranks/chainlines. But the downside of our implementation is that carbon BB shells are typically so chunky (O.D.) that they can't accommodate the backset of the adapter's tabs.
  • 2 0
 My only issue with that type of interface is the adapter can move when hit hard enough. I feel like nsb or wolftooth have better bash options for bikes without tabs
  • 3 0
 ...new low profile front derailleur for top secret "double chainring" up front. Yes!!!
  • 3 0
 @artistformlyknowasdan: yep 100% right man they rotate when bashed thats why I still use a chairing mounted bash ring instead of those tacos!!
  • 2 0
 Guess how we mounted chain devices before iscg tabs were a thing…. Now they where not simple as they are today.
  • 1 0
 Is there any adapters like this for T47 BBs, or do they just not exist???
  • 22 2
 Love MRP guides and run them on my bikes. That being said $75 for the cheapest and simplest model is dumb. Also thank you for making replacement parts available to purchase. The price for those are less dumb.
  • 5 0
 In Europe MRPs replacement parts cost as much as other brands complete guides And their complete guides are twice as expensive
  • 4 1
 Maybe if mrp dropped their prices they would sell more guides. Then in turn wouldn't have to charge such obscene amounts for some machined alloy plate and glorified bit of plastic.
  • 1 0
 Interesting... seems like an easy item to 3D print to me... hmmmm
  • 2 0
 There is a $40 version of our 1x guide, but it doesn't have all the new features above. Most critically, though, it does have the feature of preventing your chain from coming off. So once it's setup, it works just as well as the new-new. No BB-mounted option, however, and getting it perfectly aligned and positioned with 10-50/52t cassettes (ie no rub in any gear and throughout the suspension stroke) takes a lil' bit.
  • 7 0
 Aged 37 years in purple anodized barrels, I come from the old days of orange roller MRP guides, angle grinders and mountains of spacers... things are orders of magnitude better now on the chainguide front. Light, quiet, effective and easy set up. The last gen MRP guides where really nice, these look even nicer... wish I could get a BB mounted bashguide, though. I'm also really happy with the Oneup bashguide on my Knolly... it was pretty damn set and forget when I built that bike 2.5 years ago. Bashguard gets a regular workout and is plenty scuffed and dented but completely fine, and my fancy 12 speed chain neither comes off nor gets molested by roots and rocks on the trail.
  • 4 0
 Man I still run Orange roller MRP’s. as well as a few black rollers ‘cause Orange are hard to come by. Still love ‘em. Still no dropped chains
  • 4 1
 I still have an AMg that, along with a set of King hubs, is the only thing surviving from I've-lost-track-of-how-many bikes ago. Product managers need to learn how to make their stuff not last as long*



* please don't make your stuff not last as long and I'll promise to always buy your chain guides
  • 2 0
 I'm on my third AMg on my DH bike, after the carbon back plate on the first one shattered during a disagreement with a rock and the second alu one bent in a casing incident.

My frame and chainwheel is still happy tho' Smile
  • 4 2
 So, how does it compare to One Up? In particular, does it work with oval rings? I personally prefer the, possibly more finicky approach of laterally setting up the top guide using thin spacers. It may be a bit more work up front, but at least it doesn't feel like I'm investing in the more advanced adjustment that I'll only use once. And at least there is no way for it to shift once it is set. But yeah, shops may prefer to sell and install this one so it has its place.

There is little mention about that bashguard but it does look nice. Brands would typically explain more about the material being used (lexan or nylon) and I'd expect this one to be nylon (composite) too but I'm curious about the story and how it is different from the competition.
  • 8 0
 Yes, this guide works with oval rings, you just need to set the upper guide position higher (+2 teeth). Also, be aware that the same applies to the bash coverage – for example, our 28-32t AMg will cover up to a 30t oval ring (a 32t oval ring would be slightly exposed to damage at some points in the pedal stroke).

I hear you re: setup, but with our new system you're not confined to 1mm increments in alignment. I've had setups before where a 1mm washer made the chain rub on the inside of the guide in the easiest gear, but removing it made the chain rub on the outside of the guide in the hardest gear. I'd have to compromise one way or the other.

Our bashguard is glass-filled nylon. We worked many years on getting the exact recipe right – making it the right mix of strength and ductility. That involved a lot of intentionally running into rock ledges as well as in-house drop-testing.
  • 1 0
 @NoahColorado: This is easily solved with 0.5mm thick M6 shims, of which one can get a 50-count baggie, in stainless, from Aliexpress for about $2 shipped. Also available down to paper-thin 0.1mm if so desired. While the MRP has the ease of setup advantage and I can see how it's preferable for a shop, the OneUp can't get knocked out of alignment on the trail and that would be my preference as the end user. Either way, choices are good.
  • 2 0
 @NoahColorado: Thanks for your response. For me, the thin plates supplied One Up were adequate for me. I'm running a 11-36t cassette, maybe the wider range ones are more demanding. Not sure whether I could get away with those spacers for the IS disc brake mount. My current frame and fork work with the PM brake standard but I still have enough spacers at home.

Good to hear they're compatible with oval rings. Of course sliding the guide up is always an option, but my worry was that the chain retention would be compromised if the small diameter section passes through. So, good to hear it's been tested and it works. The bash protection is indeed glass filled nylon as I expected. I wonder what happened with lexan. Back in the days lots of brands worked with metal bash protection and then suddenly e-thirteen came with those lexan ones. I still have a few of them. But nowadays it is all nylon composite.
  • 1 0
 @vinay: I'm not an expert in plastics, but I remember testing a lot of materials and competitor products before we settled on a formulation (not just for these bashguards, but going back ~10 years to the S4 guide). The issues we and others faced in the early plastic-bash days were chemical resistance (from chain lubes and degreasers) and brittleness/cracking.
  • 1 0
 @vinay: about 25 years ago there was a guy named bart who made custom smoking tubes out of Lexan. He would demonstrate the strength by swinging a sledge hammer onto the product, making a distinct tone but not breaking. "Bwongggg"
  • 1 0
 @Chonky13: Yeah, but if I recall correctly, some very common solvents or adhesives could turn lexan into something very brittle. That may be a reason why they're no longer common. Back when these e-thirteen guides were common, it was also common to sticker-up your bike. And many brands would actually go with that trend and supply loads of stickers with their products. So that you could indeed turn your RockShox Totem into a totempole! Sadly, this was also the era where customers learned to exploit (but not moderate) their power by publishing pictures of failed products.
  • 2 0
 MRP have always been my favourite chainguides as they seemed better designed, simpler and more durable than rivals like E13, but I really can't justify £109 for a guide when there are so many perfectly functional options for less than half that price now.
Just saying.
  • 2 0
 These are our "premium" level guides (SL and SLR). We offer almost all of our guide models at three price-points. The CS line is offers 100% of the performance and protection of our SL and SLR models, but are priced ~30-40% less. The tradeoff is usually weight and convenience. CS models use steel or composite backplates, SL models use alloy backplates, and SLR uses carbon backplates. The CS models also lose out on the new adjustability of these guides, they rely on spacers for alignment. The outgoing AMg Alloy models are also 25% off now, FYI.
  • 2 0
 Nice job with the chainline adjustment. Wolf Tooth has a similar system on the Gnarwolf guide they make which was incredibly convenient to install. I have been running OneUp guides on my last two bikes and the way they do the chainline adjustment is so incredibly fussy and annoying in comparison. Bummer I bought my OneUp for my new bike a month ago, I would have done one of these instead.
  • 5 0
 Nice, looks like solid stuff from MRP.
  • 1 0
 This seems the same as the E13 Vario 105 enduro modular chain guide/bash guard system. It too has the upper guide capable to slide in and out for different chain lines.

www.commencalusa.com/e13-vario-chain-guide-c2x34418994
  • 1 0
 The problem with some of the e*13 guides/guards is the lack of compatibility with some Shimano 12-speed chainrings.
  • 1 0
 Trail design has definitely changed over the years, bash guards were mandatory when I started riding as logs and rocks were features and it was expected to hit your chainring .
  • 2 1
 Does MRP just go decades without an engineering department? When was the last time the guides got updated (yes I am joking, yes I know they make suspension too).
  • 7 4
 I don’t think any engineers were involved making their suspension though
  • 4 0
 Yeah, they had a good, long run. 1x and AMg were last updated in 2015. SXg came in 2016.
  • 8 0
 @olafthemoose: Speak for yourself, my ribbon air is supremely buttery!
  • 1 3
 They put the crown on their forks backwards then marketed it like some revolutionary thing that doesn't collect mud and weigh your bike down. As if people don't use mud guards..
  • 1 0
 No issues with my Ramp Control
  • 1 0
 Glad i got my Sxg bash while they still made them. Guess you could hacksaw the top part given a lot frames have an upper guide now
  • 2 0
 We still have 2-bolt SXg guides, is that what you're talking about?
  • 2 0
 @NoahColorado: ah, drop down menu option. I’ll say it’s well hidden which is a shame given what a great product it is (imo)!
  • 4 0
 @NoahColorado Another SXg fan here. Bashguard is mandatory for my regularly-scheduled bad line choices, and I think that little tab at the bottom helps when doing a fakie, ratcheting back, etc. I read somewhere (maybe Vital) that this was your design, so thanks!

I'd venture to guess SXg will be updated at some point in the near future... I'm hoping it's going to stay the course with burly, function>aesthetics&weight design. But if for some reason you guys are planning to slim it down like these new guides, would you please reply by saying "start hoarding the current SXg"? Thank you
  • 3 0
 @KatzT: SXg was updated with a revised upper guide for MY21. Those updates included making it slightly smaller, revising the internal shape to work better with wide chainlines and wide-range cassettes, and giving it 1mm of inboard/outboard adjustability at the upper guide.

It'll be around for the foreseeable future, it's still the best guide for enduro and DH racing – or for those who prefer questionable line choices.
  • 2 0
 @KatzT: The tab is key-
  • 1 0
 "AMg SL: $99.95, £109.99"

£109.99 = $133. VAT in the UK is ridiculous. In BC people were moaning that HST+GST was like 12%, I thought it sounded pretty low!
  • 1 0
 $160.00 CDN.
  • 1 0
 Never understood how such simple items can be charged out to the customer at such a ridiculous price. Have a look at Unite components, far cheaper and great quality.
  • 1 0
 I'm still trying to wear out my Mr. Dirt but if I'm still riding in 20 years I'll check out MRP again.
  • 2 1
 Adjusting chain guide side of clearance is much better than washers in between the bracket and ISGC tab. Thanks OneUp!
  • 2 0
 dam I want an AMG bashguard
  • 1 3
 After breaking way too many e13's and having fitment issues with MRP,

I went absolute black in 2016, it has all these features and has been flawless. MRP is way behind

Also the absolute black is $112 and 69g including ALL TITANIUM hardware, thats right, lighter than their carbon
  • 1 2
 absoluteblack.cc/oval-bashguide-iscg05
  • 1 0
 Classic. Saw this 3 days after I bought the old, not super adjustable version. Had to MacGyver some hardware too.
  • 1 0
 What happens when digital drive hits tho?
  • 1 0
 Is it just me, or do they all look like different views of a toilet?
  • 1 1
 Did anyone come up with a solution yet that works for press fit bb and no tabs?
  • 1 0
 I'm guessing you don't have a round seat tube... but here's one idea:

problemsolversbike.com/products/shifters-derailleurs/chainspy_-_30979
  • 1 0
 @derekr: I have a top guide mounted to my unused front derailler mount. I was just wondering if anyone had come up with a solution for a bash guard.
  • 1 0
 @ak-77: look up wolf tooth camo chainrings. Might be looking for something more like that.
  • 1 0
 @ak-77: Could go oldschool with a 2x crank and put a bash guard on the outside ring
  • 1 0
 @derekr: Good idea. I was thinking to do so indeed, since my crank is a converted 2x. I have not searched yet, but I think it might be a challenge to find my favorite type of ring, a 32t oval, to fit an asymmetric 64bcd Shimano crank...
Maybe this summer when I leave the flatlands and head for mountains I will change the setup to a smaller chainring ring and include a bashring.
  • 1 0
 I saw an mro fork on a bike once!
  • 4 6
 Still not as good as the OneUp guides that they launched 7 years ago. Seems like we need a new ISCG standard before we will see real any innovation.
  • 2 1
 And then they will be even more unnecessarily expensive too.
  • 1 0
 What so the oneups have?
  • 7 0
 How are these not as good? No shims and super adjustable.
  • 1 0
 Are bottom rollers dead
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