Distributor: Direct from wolftoothcycling.com or through
Revolution Products Ltd.
RRP: $82-$110
Let’s be honest; front derailleurs aren’t perfect.
Deliberately dropping your chain in the hopes that it lands correctly on
another chain ring doesn’t really sound that good, does it? Until recently,
your choices were limited when it came to doing battle with the front
derailleur; live with it, run a chain guide and tolerate annoying chain rub, or
join the seedy world of single-speeders. None of these options are ideal for
many riders, so when SRAM announced they had found a solution using a specially
machined front chain ring, the mountain biking world got very excited indeed.
But SRAM’s solution through another factor in to the
equation; cost. Shelling out $600 for the privilege of this new technology
seems unrealistic to most riders, but thanks to some loopholes in the patent
and a number of small engineering shops tooling up to work with the new
technology, the alternating profile “thick thin” chain ring was brought to the
masses. Wolf Tooth, with their DropStop chain ring, are one such company.
Currently keeping stock of 10 different ring designs for
different model cranks, chances are you will be able to find a model in Wolf
Tooth’s catalogue to suit your current ride. Tested here is the GXP Direct
Mount model. Weighing in at 74 grams for a 32 tooth model, running this ring
will save around 250 grams just from weight saved by removing 2 front chain
rings and a spider. This does not take into account removing front derailleur,
shifter and associated cabling. In my case, with these taken into account approximately
400 grams were put into long term storage in the shed, more than enough to make
any weight weenie look up and take note.
So, it is a cheap way to drop a lot of weight, but does it
do what it says on the box? (Or in this case, website). In short, yes it does.
In 2 months of riding a hard tail over some rather steep and bumpy terrain,
this tester has had exactly one dropped chain. One, and that was after a very
messy dismount that would have seen my previous 2x10 system home crying. But
wait, there’s more! Without a front derailleur or guide for the chain to rub
and bounce against, the drivetrain is almost completely silent… Trail ninjas
rejoice.
Light weight, reliable and inexpensive. All very well, but
can you actually ride the thing? That depends on you. With a 32 ring fitted to
a 29’r this test spun out on the top gear at around 44kmh, so fast enough for
most riders. For a strong rider, a 32-36 gear combo will get you up all but the
steepest hills, but if you live in exceptionally steep terrain rings are
available right down to 26 teeth in some designs.
So is it worth it? The ability to give the single ring craze
a go for around $100 seems minuscule compared to shelling out for $1500+ for a
single specific drivetrain, and it works exactly as claimed; the sheer number
of them out on track at Nationals this year is a testament to their value. As
with any single ring drivetrain, the Wolf Tooth will keep you honest about your
fitness, but then again, we don’t mountain bike because it’s easy…
A quality product with an option for everyone.
To buy direct from Wolf Tooth just click the pretty picture below...
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