Adhering to the notion that less is more, certainly stands true amongst modern bicycle design where a combination of refinement and progression of both the sport and the product that goes along with it, is delivering bikes that are less complicated (on the outside at least) and way more fun to ride…

This recent surge in popularity where riders are removing non-essential elements from our bikes, started with the arrival of ten speed and now eleven speed gearing, giving the rider the ability to remove the painfully restrictive front derailleur without sacrificing too much from the bike’s ability to ascend and descend. With a larger cassette and a suitable front chainring, the front derailleur is history for many of us and thanks to the arrival of clutch derailleurs, all that’s left is to protect the drivetrain, keep the chain on when things gets wild and make it all look as sweet as a nut. Enter the AMG guide and Bling Ring from MRP.

Words & Photos: Olly Forster

The ultimate enduro chainguide? Quite possibly – at 125 grams, it’s not going to over burden anyones featherweight race machine and coupled with the fact that it’s also the only guide currently on the market designed with both a bash guard and missing the now redundant on anything but DH bikes (thanks to those fantastic clutch mechs) lower guide.

This is what really makes the AMG stand out from the crowd and could really save your day… First ride out on the AMG and I grounded out on a rock ledge over a blind drop following a rider on an unfamiliar trail – how much damage was prevented is anyones guess, but there’s a big dent in the plastic that would surely have damaged something critical.

If your speccing this on a trail/ enduro/ AM bike (basically a “mountain bike”), your going to be looking at a smaller than normal front ring to give you the gearing to ascend. I’ve gone from a 36 down to a 32 in the last two years and while I could go lower for those painfully long and drawn out fire road climbs…

The top part of the guide slides off via a neat rail milled into the top part of the boomerang making installation a piece of cake, not to mention that the AMG requires no specialist tools.

The overall quality of manufacturing has really impressed everyone who has taken a closer look at the AMG and if like me, you can remember MRP guides from back in the late 90’s when they were the only viable option, they were the epitome of awesome! The AMG feels every bit the chainguide I remember from MRP when I first started racing downhill.

In the box – chainring bolt spacers and a 1mm BB spacer. The use of plastic in chainguides is pretty common place now and has been for some time – it reduces noise and can help with both weight reduction and aiding in areas that receive a lot of friction and abrasion – like a chainguide or skid plate. There are however downsides, but the one we often overlook, is that some lubricants break down the plastic and ultimately cause them to crack and perish – thankfully there’s a handy orange piece of card listing what you should steer clear of. 

While the AMG guide represents something that I think a lot of serious AM riders should look at for the simple reason that it’s both rad and could prove extremely useful, the Bling Ring is exactly that, bike bling and what a beautiful piece of crafted aluminium it is…

There is of course more to the Bling Ring than looks alone. 32 for 32 and up against a super-light Renthal SR4 ring on an Sram X0 spider against the MRP Bling Ring. Now that’s a decent weight save on a performance bike and removing any bolts or fixings, reduces the risks of anything coming loose or failing. The 6 point structure also looks indestructible too…

Making use of Sram’s removable spider design – found on SRAM X9, X0, and Truvativ AKA cranks – the Bling Ring effortlessly slips on and bolts up…

Conclusion

Aside from the fact that they both look awesome apart and totally dialled together, the AMG Guide and Bling Ring are two components that will further enhance the reliability and overall feel of your “go anywhere and do anything” bike. The AMG guide especially, is so spot on for all those riders who want to loose the lower guide, but don’t want to sacrifice chainring protection. At £90, it’s significantly more expensive than other guides that similarly lack the lower guide, but when you look at the AMG, it has far more in common with a traditional guide (skid plate and boomerang..) and many of which are over £100. Money aside, the AMG is a fantastic piece of kit and as of right now, is the best looking and performing guide of its kind and also rather unique too…

How bad ass does that set up look? Sram’s X0 cranks are rad enough, but bolted up with a Bling Ring and the superb AMG guide leaves little else that could be done to further enhance your drivetrain without going all Spinal Tap and adding another gear to your cassette.

The Bling Ring is a great way of shaving off a few grams that on a bike already sporting carbon cranks, could well be at the point where further weigh reduction could hamper the bikes ability to perform in the environment it should thrive in. Weight saving aside, it looks amazing and that’s the first thing that will be on anyones mind and £60 for a piece of crafted American beauty (only £20 more than most decent single rings), those that are looking for the edge and that last thing to finish their bikes off will love what MRP have to offer with the Bling Ring. The only way I can see anything here being improved upon would be the introduction of a “narrow wide” style design being incorporated to further enhance both the Bling Ring and the genral performance of the drivetrain it’s attached too. That said, with the Sram Type 2 derailleur we’ve been using this year and coupled with a healthy chain, we’ve had no issues and you really shouldn’t have much to worry about. Currently only available for GXP compatible cranks, push fit BB30 offerings will be available shortly. Go hassle your local dealer!

Recommended product? You bet! MRP products are exclusively distributed in the UK by the rad folk at Ison Distribution and for everything MRP and beyond, hit the logo. Happy trails, Olly.

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