Running 1x9 without clutch mech?

[ishaw]

Clutch mechs and 1x seemed to appear with 10sp. I have a plan for a 1x9 build using narrow wide ring, but will I miss a clutch rear mech?

Before clutch mechs I've run 1x m952 with the m950 single ring on a commuter and didn't drop a chain, though the roads of London town didn't really throw many bumps and jumps at me.

Is it worth worrying about a chain retainer up front along with the narrow wide ring?

Anything I can do to aid chain drop?

Clutch mechs have always baffled me slightly. I thought the idea of a rear mech was to maintain chain tension and a clutch mech seems to restrict the movement of the mech which in my head, and limited engineering or other knowledge, is counter intuitive to maintaining tension. I get that at points there will be some movement and slop with a free moving mech, but my brain can't compute how a clutch mech really helps.

Similarly with a narrow wide ring too, yes the wider teeth slot against the inner chain links tighter, but if that's the case, why aren't all of the teeth wide? How do the narrow ones help?

 

[rwm1962]

Depends what you're riding. On the rough stuff the clutch restricts the mech moving too much & untensioning the chain. Chain links alternate wide/narrow so a ring that does the same holds the chain better. For my more genteel off road riding using a 1x I think the clutch isn't really necessary but narrow wide certainly helps. That's my understanding of it anyway!

 

[KermitGKona88]

I have been running a 1x9 Sram 9.0sl rear mech and Middleburn ring on my cruiser (road, mild off road, cobbles) for over a year and the only time my chain has dropped is when it snapped one time...

 

[eric_james]

On my old lavadome I converted it to single front chainring using the original middle chainring
Dropped chain fairly often, fitted narrow wide and it never dropped again

 

[dandy1]

I've run a few bikes 1x7, 8, 9 and even single without a wide narrow, never had issues. Typical shimano marketing bull imo

My rocky blizzard is running 10 speed with clutch and I must admit I prefer the older 'non clutch' mechs

 

[raidan73]

I have a 1x9 set-up on my Chromag, with a narrow-wide chainring and a clutchless rear mech. I've never dropped the chain once

 

[rwm1962]

If it's bull it's not just Shimano. IMO it's also what terrain you ride. Except for my ebike I've never run anything but narrow wide (& oval) on a 1x. The ebike shed it's chain regularly until I upgraded. Admittedly, chain line was also a factor with the upgraded narrow wide having better offset.

 

[Joe_Rides]

I run my modern-ish Hardtail 1 x 10. Although the mech (SLX) has a clutch option, I've never once engaged it. Chain to my knowledge has never dropped. I do run a narrow wide chainring though.

This is the bike I take to 'trails' and jump spots so it gets a moderate thrashing.

 

[Siish]

I've got 1 x 9 on my univega, sram x9 ream mech, n/w chainring and a chain guide that clamps around the seat tube, never dropped a chain since I went to a n/w chainring, was constantly coming off before

 

[eric_james]

Can I be a bit thick and have someone give me a quick rundown of what a clutch mech does?
I could google it but there's no fun in that