What is a granny ring & what's benefit of a chain guide?

JayKingFunk

Hi,

I keep seeing stuff in mags/forums etc. about ditching the 'granny ring'. Which chain ring is this?!

I have a typical 3 ring setup and only really use the middle one and occasionally the big 44T ring for road use when riding to a trail or for going downhill fast. As yet I've never used the smallest ring!

What are the benefits of a chain guide and can they be fitted to any bikes?

I have a GT avalanche expert frame and have run out of things to upgrade on it at the moment until I can afford to upgrade my forks again!

I know I probably don't 'need' a chain guide but I'm just curious as to whether or not I could fit one to my frame and if it would benefit the bike?

I ride single track, XC, and jumps/drop offs etc.

J

nicklouse

granny ring is the small front ring.


a chain guide can help keep your chain on the front cogs.

JayKingFunk

so am I right in assuming that if I removed my 'granny ring' there would be space to fit a chain guide?

Will the front mech still work with it and how does one attach it to the bottom bracket??!

J

P-Jay

JayKingFunk wrote:

so am I right in assuming that if I removed my 'granny ring' there would be space to fit a chain guide?

Will the front mech still work with it and how does one attach it to the bottom bracket??!

J

you don't need to remove the granny, I only really know e13 ones, but they do a few for 1 front geat and one for a two gear set-up called DRS.

However it's the outter ring that goes in favour of a bash gaurd.

If you're bike doesn't have guide fitment hole you fit it behind the cup on external type BB's in place of a spacer.

But most of all do you really need one? they're very much the preserve of the DH / FR type bikes to keep the chain on as that smash over rough ground at high speed. By the sounds of it, you're a bit of a bike magpie like me and looking to buy something shiney rather than because you need it.

Perhaps you could save the cash for another bike, you can never have enough bikes.

nicklouse

JayKingFunk wrote:

so am I right in assuming that if I removed my 'granny ring' there would be space to fit a chain guide?

Will the front mech still work with it and how does one attach it to the bottom bracket??!

J

you dont have to remove anything you can get guides that work with 1 ring, 2 rings and 3 rings.

have a look at some of the bikes in the Your bikes section

JayKingFunk

Cool, thanks for that people.

P-Jay: I am very much a bike magpie!!