OneUp Switch Chainring System - Review
Widespread acceptance of one-by cranksets has created additional opportunities for innovation, and one of those is OneUp's new Switch Chainring System. No surprise if quick-change gearing isn't on your short list of must-have accessories. It's a fresh concept. Most trail riders grew up with fussy front derailleurs and multiple chainrings, while gravity and all-mountain riders wrestled with single-ring cranksets enshrouded by complicated chain guides. Once you got all those bits working correctly, the last thing on your mind was experimenting with different size chainrings.
Until recently, if one wanted taller or lower gearing, the default was a new cassette - an expensive purchase, but much less complicated to install. Even if the thought did occur that it would be great to customize your gearing for a full day of climbing or for a gravity day at the bike park, the negatives far outweighed the positives.
OneUp offers spiders that fit all popular direct-mount cranksets, Switch chainrings (round or oval) interchange with all spider configurations.
OneUp Switch Chainring System
Today, however, single-chainring drivetrains with narrow-wide sprocket profiles have turned that equation up-side down and OneUp Components gets it. An 11 or 12-speed cassette can cost upwards of $500, while chainrings are priced around $40. OneUp engineered a small spider that interlocks with the sprocket. The chainring is secured with four Allen screws, but they only need to be backed off two revolutions to release the sprocket. All the hardware remains in place, and the width of the spider and the design of the chainrings is such that the sprocket can be removed or installed over the crankarm and the pedal. Switching to a different chainring can be done in less than two minutes, using only a four millimeter Allen key. OneUp's Switch Chainring System makes it practical and inexpensive to match your gearing to the task at hand.
The chainring interface unlocks in a clockwise direction.
Carriers (Spiders): All types, $23 USD
• Race Face Cinch - Standard, Boost, SuperBoost
• SRAM style 3 bolt - Standard, Boost, SuperBoost, BB30 short spindle
• Hope - Standard and Boost
• E*Thirteen - Standard and Boost
• Cannondale - Standard, Ai, FatCAAD
• Race Face Cinch - Standard, Boost, SuperBoost
• SRAM style 3 bolt - Standard, Boost, SuperBoost, BB30 short spindle
• Hope - Standard and Boost
• E*Thirteen - Standard and Boost
• Cannondale - Standard, Ai, FatCAAD
Chainring Sizes: USD
• 28T oval and round - $40
• 30T oval and round - $40
• 32T oval and round - $42
• 34T oval and round - $44
• 36T oval and round - $44
(All chainrings fit all carriers)
• 28T oval and round - $40
• 30T oval and round - $40
• 32T oval and round - $42
• 34T oval and round - $44
• 36T oval and round - $44
(All chainrings fit all carriers)
Beyond the obvious, the Switch Chainring System also helps to future-proof your crankset. Spiders are available to fit popular direct-mount cranksets from Race Face, SRAM, Cannondale, e*thirteen and Hope, and for Boost and standard chain lines. Oval and round chainrings are available in even-tooth increments from 28 to 36. All Switch spiders cost $23 USD, while chainrings range from $40 to $44 USD. OneUp's options ensure that you can update your next bike or crank purchase to accept your selection of chainrings, and also reduces the cost and complexity of replacing worn sprockets.
Rear derailleurs are a limiting factor. Both SRAM and Shimano mid- and long-cage derailleurs have enough wiggle room to absorb chainrings one size larger or smaller (narrow-wide chainrings require two-tooth increments). Depending upon the chain length, when dropping down to a smaller sprocket, it may be necessary to adjust the B-tension screw to fine tune the derailleur cage's tension.
The locking interface rotates into place (front view)...
...And is secured by a standard, reversed chainring bolt (rear view).
Jumping up one size larger usually can be done without any adjustments. So, in most cases, if your chain length is set for a 32-tooth sprocket, you can swap between a 30, 32 and a 34-tooth chainring without adding or subtracting chain links. Want to go huge? Assemble a two or a three-link chain segment and use a second quick-link to adjust the chain length so you can jump back and forth from a 28 to a 36 tooth sprocket with a minimum of additional fussing.
The spider design allows the sprockets to clear the crankarm and pedals for easy removal and installation.
Ride Report
I installed the OneUp Switch Chainring System on a Race Face Next crankset, as well as a SRAM X01 and Eagle XX1 cranksets with no difficulties. I anticipated that I might have issues with the quick-change interlocks either loosening or creaking over time, but neither occurred. OneUp's system is still running silently after nearly three months of unseasonably wet riding for sunny Southern California.
The quick-change feature is as simple as simple gets. With practice, I could switch chainrings in under two minutes. An unexpected plus was that I could install or remove the sprocket with the chain in place out from under a chain guide. OneUp sent me the chainring options that I use most (30, 32, 34 and 36-teeth) so I set the chain lengths of the test bikes for the middle of the three options I planned on using (32t for a 30 x 34 range and 34t for a 32 x 36 range). There was no noticeable difference in shifting while riding the three options with SRAM Eagle, XX1 and Shimano XT rear mechs - and, as long as the chain was not set too long, there was no need to adjust the B-tension screws.
Did I find the option to switch gearing useful? Yes, but it took a few times to get into the habit. Initially, I forgot that I could easily pop a more suitable chainring on the bike until I was midway into a long, technical uphill slog and my legs were screaming. Now, I'll put a 36 on my enduro bike if I am shuttling downhill trails, and if I need to pedal the 30-pound monster to the top, I am not ashamed to drop down to a 32, so I can cruise the climbing trails and be fresh for the downs.
Beyond legs and lungs, however, there is always the extra wear and tear on the expensive drivetrain parts that occurs when the chain is dragging on the sprockets at extreme angles to consider. And, perhaps more important is that most rear suspension designs are tuned to react best when the rider is using the middle ranges of the cassette gears. Adapting your chainring size is a simple tool to move the gears you pedal most often in towards the center of the cassette, where suspension kinematics are optimized and the transmission is more efficient.
Pinkbike's Take:
 | I am sure that many riders will question the usefulness of quick-change gearing, but the bottom line is that, until you've tried it, you'll never really know. OneUp's Switch Chainring System is intelligently designed and simple to use. I doubt that many enduro racers would do it, but the possibility to drop down two or four teeth would make it much easier to top those monster liaison stages that seem to be popular on the EWS circuit. An extra chainring weighs almost nothing, and OneUp's clever interlock makes it both possible and practical to switch to your race gearing at the top. (Whether that would be legal is another story.) For the rest of us, OneUp's Switch Chainring System offers an affordable, do-it-yourself option that, at the very least, should encourage riders to experiment with different gearing or oval chainrings. And, in its best expression, OneUp's system will enable riders to better match their gearing to the terrain and optimize the use of wide-range cassettes. |
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I have a 32 up front and a e13 trsplus with (9-46) not only do i have all the gears i would ever need, but i never ever drop my chain and my bike is also way lighter without a 2x setup. Try riding a double black trail on your 2x, you eill drop your chain 100 times
Here's an instagram of a prototype about halfway along the project before we recognized the need to be able to access the bolts from the front. www.instagram.com/p/BIOVJA5htA7
Here also is a video better illustrating the swap - www.pinkbike.com/video/466933
Riding somewhere with super steep climbs, drop down to a 30t. Riding somewhere where you need the top end speed, use a 36t. Or even carry both on 1 ride, swap as / if you need to.
I like to change tyres depending on where I'm riding, why not have similar options with your gearing?
For people who have a single bike for all riding, have easily changeable features to cover more riding can only be a good thing.
Who in their right mind takes rings in their bag to change them during a ride? I mean seriously, a few of you here are saying you would (including Waki who seems to get excited over anything one-up for some unknown reason) but how often?
Its a simple case of wanting to copy WT or similar and having to add something 'innovative' so that it looks like a novel idea.
The likelihood is that it allows One Up to more easily manage production - its easier to make rings in one bolt pattern and a load of different spiders than all of the combinations of offset and mounting types.
The bike industry is its own enemy, rather than working together to develop a standard chainring mount lets all develop our own and while we are at it lets make it 'quick change'.
Another problem with this is what do you do when your chain is very worn and you spend most time on one of the rings, when you fit the other it will just not work very well - stretched chains on new NW chainrings = noise, poor performance and a ring that wears very quickly.
Recycling value is probably around $0.05, high cu alloys dont recycle well either.
OneUp and Wolftooth were fringe companies until Sram XD came out. Trickle down innovation at its finest. It's also a great way to recognize game changers vs forced obsolescence. Dropper posts, 1x drivetrains, tubeless wheels, direct order bikes; these all allowed for small companies to develop into major players and spurred some serious competition.
Still Direct mount stills a better option.
The direct user benefits are:
- lower replacement cost
- better user serviceability
The indirect benefits are:
- It allows your LBS (or you) to have stock (or quick access to stock) of any standard, offset, size and ovality their customer needs.
- quick change
Like any skill, if you practice enough, 2x can become really intuitive. When I got back into riding after 15 year hiatus in 2010, I didn't have much of a problem with my 3x, then 2x. But after I tried a buddy's 1x, I still converted to ghetto 1x for the simplicity of it.
Anyways, most missn the point here.
Are u gna ride ur one bike quiver killer at a lift assist, shuttle, jump area with a 2x?
I've personally had front mech issues. For example the metal chain line guide bent inward just enough that the chain would rub up against it and start rattling when it was in the biggest front cog.
Again, Just because you've never experienced it doesn't mean it doesn't happen. That's just one con about having a 2 or 3x system.
Again, if anyone wants a 1x or 2x then they have the option. Just don't rag on people who prefer a 1x set up. Especially when manufacturers try to improve upon it.
For anyone with one bike who ride both trail and lift assist, can use this. Changing from 30 or 32 to 34 or 36 in 2 mins on lift days, yeah, I'd do that. No issue for me to swap a chain in 30 seconds. And chains are cheap.
Deraileurs are allready being stretched to thier limits with modern wide range cassettes, I doubt they'd take up the chain growth
Also, lets not pretend we don't care about looks a least a little bit, & spiderless rings are nicer looking.
If I have to choose where I want the weight, low at the BB is better than out at the rear wheel.
I really don't care too much about the weight savings or any of that bullshit, I just want a simpler more reliable system that works.
I do want this though, makes it easier to swap between a 32 or 28 ring for summer/winter, just have to keep a chain @ right length laying around.
I also don't think you really understand your gearing. Tight spacing is exactly what you give up with a 1x set up.
Don't get me wrong- I run 1x now, but this is a solution to a problem that never existed.
Think about what you just said so you're going to add in unworn chain links into a worn chain.
Yea sounds like a great idea. Also, if you only switch with the seasons- seriously you need this to save you 5 minutes twice a year?
Also, if you have certain brands of cranks, you want to loosen the crank/spindle interface as infrequently as possible(ethirteen I'M LOOKING AT YOU.) If I was running one of those cranks, i'd happily run this system for a twice a year change to avoid the known problems with crank arms never staying tight on certain interfaces.
2012: 1x
Get rid of front derailer! NW rings, don't need a chain guide like in your 1x10 setups!
And looks better!
2013: DM
Direct Mount Rings! Save some weight!
And looks better!
2014: Chainguides
Add a chainguide to your NW ring for extra safety! And makes your ring go faster!
And looks better!
2015: Non-round rings!
We just invented the OVAL rings! Scientifically the best and only possible OVAL shape that works! Did I mention University studies?!?!
And looks better!
2016: We go to 12!
With 50 pie plate!!! Range!!!
And looks better!
2017: Spider! Convert you DM cranks to a spider! You can change the chainring faster and reduce cost!
And looks better!
2018: 1x12 range is limited!!! Let's add a secondary DM ring in the front! Manually move the chain from the small to the large! RANGE!!
And looks better!
2019: Mechanical shifter!
Get rid of your chain guide and stop greasing your hand while on the trail (to change front ring)! Push a button and the ring will change A-U-T-O-M-A-T-I-C-A-L-L-Y!!!!!!
And looks better!
2020: Improved chainline and extra power!!!
1x12 and 2x12 limits are the impossible chainline! Are you tired of premature wear on your components?!!
With two rings on the front you can have the same RANGE with a 9 speed cassette!! Lighter as well!!!
Thank you one up! Having two bikes in one has never been easier!
You guys are awesome. You are not just another company doing N/W chainrings and large cassette sprockets living off of "SRAMs innovation". Truly innovative stuff
The two-piece Switch system is the most efficient way to handle the expanding number of DM standards while still maintaining major advantages over BCD setups, lower replacement cost and unparalleled usability.
Cheers!
www.bikerumor.com/2016/05/27/pivot-unveils-switchblade-long-travel-2927-mtb-introduces-super-boost-hub-spacing
It's basically a 12x157mm hub spacing (same as the existing and confusingly named 150mm downhill hub standard), but with wider flange spacing, like you get on a 148mm hub.
Except i did not need a new hub from my existing pro two evo 150, just got some adapters!
I must be missing something here!
hey... wait!! i forgot to swap my tires to dual ply ones!! levers, anyone??
Ok, ok, I'll take a 34 tooth please... But then I'm done! You hear me? Done!
My regualr 32 for normal rides or drop to a 30 or 28 for a 6 hour lake district slog. think il add it to the wanted list
However, I'm excited to read the comments on the first pic of an EWS rider with an extra chainring duct taped to their frame!
I think that is a misleading statement. Changing gears on the cassette has a minimal effect on suspension performance.
Whereas changing front chainring size has a very noticeable effect on suspension.
And how about 2 handlebars? One flat and narrow with horns for climbing and wide riser for downhill.
The only issue I see with the Switch idea (which does appeal to me as I could swap -2T or -4T for winter then back the other way for summer) is that I'll lazily leave my Next SLs on far too long and they will seize up (self extracting nut is difficult to undo). Even after just 6 months since I last took them off they were really difficult to remove to swap rings. If I had a Swtich installed I'd only need to remove them to change BBs so I'd be mega lazy and cause myself problems later. Or when the pedal inserts come loose again... whichever is sooner. BB or inserts?!
I am blown away by the complexities of friggin' chainrings these days. A year ago, all I had to do was look at the number on the front of the ring. If I wanted to change from a 32T to a 30T, I just picked that one that said SRAM in the title so it worked with my cranks. I now have a RF cinch crank and the number of options are ridiculous. There are now boost and non-boost chainrings...but different companies determine if they are boost or not? Wolftooth and Absolute Black have gone rogue and decided that their non-boost rings are actually compatible with boost and should be used. Whereas OneUp and god knows who else are opposite. Take a look at the last 5 pages of the YT Jeffsy Owners forum here on PB. It's all about what chainrings are compatible or not. They can't make anything easy anymore.
The same thing should be done for brake discs. I don’t get why i always have to discard the entire thing?
This opens up options for more sophisticated arms, since you can keep them. Think carbon or whatever…
Same with the rings. Now you can run steel rings with less weight penalty!
Me like very much!
OneUp is oneupping it quite a few times already
Never needed anything more or less.
Every rider should be questioning the durability of the inter face. 3 months is nothing and the industry has a bad habit of not being able to duplicate prototype function and durability when going to mass production. Definitely a wait and see, wait until the third generation scenario.
I guess the extra chain curve on 11 and 12 speed cassettes might be a bit much.
But with this it's now 5 spiders and 10 rings.
We're still a very niche small market so through scale prices are going to be high. RnD ain't free.
Personally I use 32T for xc/backcountry and 28T for AM ride.
Wolftooth has this system running under the name Camo for a long time - even with oval steel chainrings.
Yeah i wink back.
And a chainring!
Ill just slap it on for the climb.
And switch to my dh ring on the way down.
The issue is that they are also more expensive than your spiderless rings, probably heavier, probably less stiff and there are now 4 more bolts to come loose on the rider - brilliant.
There are no benefits to the owner in reality unless you genuinely think riders give any thought to the time it takes to change a chainring...
Your chainguide works very well by the way, great design.
You thinking of doing steel chainrings for this ? They're hard to beat for reliability and price. I don't care if they're heavier.
Yeah, but their steel chainrings are $100
Not really. My $14 steel sram chainrings look new after almost a thousand miles
It's 110g for the 30t i have now. That's $3.22 per pound.
2. 3 months of riding in an unseasonably wet california winter... really? as if you were grinding away 100's of hours in grime -
if you were, your an a*shole by CA trail ettiquite standards.
3. you can change a chainring mounted to a spider by accesing it from the inside, below the bottom bracket.
4. if you are frequently changing rings your going to trash those little allen bolts from repeated use
5. who the f*ck changes chainring size on a regular basis, it's just not neccisary.
6. if you do change chainring size, you also should verify your chain length throughout the cogs and suspension travel, which is an unaddressed and critical aspect of changing chainring or cog size.
7. RC says that to change gearing you need to change cassette making a comparison to a $500 part. that is bullshit, old hype salesman is blowing smoke up ignorant consumers skirts trying to get them to spend their money on one-up - for shame. As if you cant just change chainring size.
8. you only need to pop off your crank arm, probably one bolt, and a lockring to change a spiderless ring. you should clean your bb interface anyways, so no loss!
9. this obviously will not fair well in circumstance where one contacts their chainring against objects in the terrain. - it's touted as only being held on by two rotations of threads, into aluminum. WEAK!
10. RC lost all credit with me long before blowing brands for pinkbike, when he worked at Mountain bike action, he never says anything adverse about expensive shit, even if the problems are glaring.
3. This is true in some cases. Our original design only had bolts accessible from the rear. With bash guides and some suspension platforms if is difficult or impossible to access the bolts without removing the crank.
4. The 4mm allen heads go all the way through the bolts so they have a very long tool engagement area.
5. Switch was designed with ring maintenance, ease of use and wide coverage of standards in mind. Swapping rings on or before a ride is more of a bonus that we wouldn't expect many people to try. It is an option though.
6. This is true but it isn't difficult to check when you're setting up a new chain and ring.
8. For RF and SRAM it's one bolt (One high torque 8mm bolt). For Cannondale, Hope and some E-13 cranks it is custom tools that you definitely won't have trail side.
9. The bolt is threaded into the carrier by as many or more threads as a traditional nut/bolt setup. You just loosen the bolt by 2 turns to allow the ring to rotate off in the non-drive direction.
10. RC is a legend
3. *with some guides and niner suspension frames
4. Cool
5. a reversible ring would be better for maintenance... Comment was mostly directed at the RC's notion this would quicken the process.
6. Word. It should have been mentioned as a step by RC, for all and affects the notion of quick.
8. i thought we agreed that the trailside thing wasnt the idea anyways.
9. i'm not exactly clear on how this ring affixes, more detail would be cool, not that i would hold my breath for RC to get into the nitty gritty details.
9. based on years of thrashing bike parts, i would suggest that all things be secured by more than 720 degrees of thread engagment
10. RC is a legend, but for what, pandering positive reviews for financial reasons?
9 - It's a bit hard to explain without the crank in hand. Think of the way a standard 104 ring mounts. It is the last 1/4 turn that actually locks the ring down but as long as the threads are engaged with the nut, the ring is captive on the spider.
The whole idea of SWITCH is that it is not held captive on the carrier once the bolt is loosened but at the same time, we don't want the ring to be removable if the bolts are loosened only 1/4 turn. With SWITCH we designed the ring to have an anti-rotation feature until the bolts are loosened 2 full turns. When loosened 2 turns the rest of the standard length bolt is still engaged with the carrier.
One other thing to note is that the bolt does not actually carry the pedaling load like many BCD cranks. The ring drives directly on the carrier.
I hope that helps.
Loosen one bolt- tap drive side crank out, loosen 3 bolts, swap rings, tighten 3 bolts, install crank arms, tighten one bolt.
Man I'm exhausted thinking about how long that took and how much work it was.
If only someone made a more complex system that allowed me to change my ring without spending the entire day working on my bike.
Nobody is forcing you to buy it; if you don't think it's necessary, don't get it.