I’ve been using the 1×9 drivetrain for about two months, and it’s time for some updates.  I finally got around to weighing the Eriksen and the overall weight dropped from a 3×9 10.9kg to the now 1×9 10.3kg.

The new Chain Keeper chain guide was initially jamming and rubbing.  I tired realigning the guide with no success, and even resorted to riding with no chain guide.  The chain dropped fairly frequently without a guide, so I continued tweaking the Chain Keeper until I finally found a position that worked.  That was about a month ago and I haven’t had any issues since.

Last weekend I rode the 1×9 Eriksen io an XC race in very muddy, wet and cold conditions.  Despite riding though clay, deep mud and hub-deep “puddles” the chain didn’t suck or jam.  The drivetrain worked perfectly throughout my near three-hour race.  Three hours in those conditions without a single sucked chain would have been a miracle with the 3×9 or even 2×9 drivetrain.  Being very happy with drivetrain, the only change I’m likely to make is to swapping the aluminum XT 32t ring for a stainless steel 32-34t ring.  Swapping the 11-32t cassette for a one with a 34t cog is also a possibility, but I’m not convinced it’s necessary.

Based on my experience, I’d definitely recommend giving 1×9 a try, although you may want to consider appropriate gearing for the terrain you ride.  The Chain Keeper is the only 1×9-specific component I’ve used, and it seems to be a reasonable, though pricey chain guide.  Aside from the touchy setup and alignment, the only other issue I’ve found with the Chain Keeper is the placement of the mounting hardware.  The allen bolts on the Chain Keeper are aligned parallel to the downtube, and as a result, they are difficult to access.  This wouldn’t necessarily be an issue on a frame with a smaller diameter downtube, but it would likely be an issue with most.  I’ve found that neither my trail-friendly multi-tool or T-handled allen wrenches work.  A small L-shaped allay key does work, but that means I have to carry one more tool when I ride.

That’s all for now.  I have another XC race in a couple weeks –Hopefully this time the trails will be a little drier.

I’ve been traveling, so you’ll have to excuse the gap since the last update. For the first update, you get photos of a very foggy Eagle Park in the early winter.

Next, a breif update on the BB7 brake upgrade. I’ve used the BB7s in a few races, and in dry, wet and muddy conditions. My conclusion is that they work and they are a worth while upgrade. Benefits over my old rims brakes included more predictable braking in the wet and less hand fatigue, which is particularly useful in the enduro events. Areas of concern are the increased weight, braking noise and degraded modulation. However, even with the drawbacks, I would strongly recommend BB7s for cross country use.

Moving on, I’ve converted the Eriksen to 1×9. Prior to the last enduro I removed the granny gear, so removing the big ring was the next logical step. I used a Paul’s Chain Keeper, and kept the XT crankset with the 32t middle ring. I’m still adjusting things (mostly the chain length), but the system seems to work well and the big ring hasn’t been missed.  That said, I’ll give the 1×9 setup more trail time before I give a more detailed review.

Finally, my old (but not that old) Adidas Marathon shoes died. The sole surrounding the cleat cracked after about two years of use. I wasn’t impressed. So, I got a pair of Shimano SM-M086L (catchy name, huh?) shoes as a replacement. The Shimanos aren’t as flashy as some of the shoes out there, but they are reasonably priced and appear to be durable. They have been comfortable on the road, and haven’t given me any reason to complain off-road in the mud. That’s all for now, but I’ll have some non-cycling related updates shortly…

My new Hope Pro II hubs are doing well and I’ve been happy with their performance and durability.  It is hard to say how much distance the hubs have covered, but in the three plus months I’ve had them they have been used in several races in dry and muddy conditions.  The seals seem to be doing a good job of keeping the mud and sand out, and the bearings still feel as good as they did when new.  Other than this recent routine maintenance, I haven’t had to do anything to them.

I’m not going to get into much detail on the maintenance.  If you’re looking for more technical info, I found the videos from Hope sufficiently detailed and informative. In comparison to routine Mavic hub maintenance, these are just as simple and the process doesn’t take much time.

Upon removing the cassette there was obvious wear on the aluminum freehub from the smaller individual cogs on the XT cassette.  This is a widely noted shortcoming of the Hope freehub and can make the cassette a little difficult to remove.  Switching to Hope’s steel freehub is an option if the problem gets worse.

Other than that, all I have to add is that an open water bottle is the perfect diameter to re-seat the drive-side seal between the freehub and hub body.  On a related note I used Park Polylube 1000, which in addition to working well in the these hubs, tastes better than most sports drinks.