There is no doubt that 1x drivetrains are not going anywhere anytime soon. They’re simpler to operate, there are less parts to fail, they're a bit lighter and with dinner plate rear cassettes becoming the norm there is no shortage of range available. But they come with a steep price tag.
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Hailing from Squamish BC, OneUp has created its modular Switch system to reduce the cost of replacing chainrings, increase compatibility and make changing the ring itself simple and quick.
The brand says it’s also aiming to make it easier for local bike shops to cover the ever growing number of chainring standards without having to go bankrupt trying to keep everything in stock.
While the removal of front shifting has given you less to think about when you’re riding, should you wear out a chainring, or maybe want to tailor your gearing to the terrain you plan to ride, finding the right chainring can be a dizzying process. With round and oval rings, a host of different crank compatibilities, and three different offsets, there is a lot to get wrong, and worse - your bike shop may not have what you’re looking for on-hand.
The modular Switch system is not too dissimilar to Wolf Tooth Components' CAMO system as both break a direct mount chainring up into two components: the chainring and the spider.
OneUp’s modular spider comes in styles that match SRAM, Race Face, Cannondale, E13 and Hope cranks, each in standard, Boost, and a couple of Super Boost options, too.
From there, all of the Switch chainrings are then compatible with each spider. Just choose round or oval and how many teeth you want and you’re good to go.
What’s better, swapping the rings is as simple as two full turns of the green bolt with a 4mm allen key, then you rotate the ring 20-degrees and pull it over the crank. To install, just reverse the process. OneUp says you can switch to a bigger or smaller ring in less time that it takes your friend to put on their riding shoes.
This is likely to be a hit among CXers and MTB racers who regularly swap gearing to suit the course they are planning to ride, but we’d guess weekend warriors will enjoy the same luxury, too.
It seems swapping chainrings is pretty simple with the Switch system
OneUp is offering the Switch Chainrings including the spindle for the same price as its direct mount rings (US$63), and replacement chainrings start at US$40. UK and AU pricing was not immediately available.
Crank standards
- SRAM GXP (Regular / Boost / Super Boost)
- SRAM BB30 (Short/Long Spindle)
- Race Face Cinch (Regular / Boost / Super Boost)
- Cannondale (Regular / Ai / FATCAAD)
- E13 (Regular, Boost)Hope (Regular, Boost)
Chainline
- Regular (49mm)
- Boost (52mm)
- Super Boost (56.5mm)
Chainring Sizes
- 28T round and oval
- 30T round and oval
- 32T round and oval
- 34T round and oval
- 36T round and oval