[jmick]

I’ve got a 750mm "wingspan" and it rocks. Originally bought the bars with intent to cut down (factory marked) but liked them wide after the first test ride. I’ve got no problem clearing tight singletrack…wider bar=more control. Now, at some point, the law of diminishing returns takes its rightful place but the inverse is also true if you’re considering going narrow(er). Everybody is built different but for me 750mm is the sweetspot. My only problem is cruising at speed through the gate opening between the parking lot and trailhead where I ride…it is literally 752mms. 😃

[jmick]

I went from 3X8 to 1X9 a couple of years ago and life is great! Picked up a discounted Race Face Evolve crankset (previous years model) online and added a Race Face 38T chainring designed for a 1 X setup…not a big deal but chainrings have ramping on the teeth to accomdate front gear changes so it isn’t necessary with a 1 X setup. Your middle chainring right now is probably a 32T (+/-) so the 38T gives me a little more top end while demanding a little more leg muscle on the climbs. That’s easy to swap out if you’re going to ride different trails with more climbs. I did all the work myself and the Park tools I bought more than paid for themselves. The other consideration you want to ponder is a short cage derailleur for the rear cassette. Your 3 X setup probably includes a long cage derailleur to soak up the slack associated with 3 chainrings up front. You dont’ need it with a 1 X setup so a short cage derrailleur will make gear changes really crisp and snappy. This is not a requirement but is the logical evolution of a 1 X drivetrain.Here are my lessons learned and what I did:

1) Race Face Evolve crankset (came with 32T single ring but picked up a 38T single ring for the type of riding I do). Do your research as there are tons of great cranksets–I picked Race Face because of affordability, reliability, made in N.A. and they are EXTREMEMLY easy to install.
2) A chainguide was absolutely essential and I went with MRPs "1X" chainguide made specifically for 1 X setups with a cross country/free ride focus. Works flawlessly. I’ve never dropped a chain on the trail.
3) After riding this way for a while I decided to complete my drivetrain transformation. I picked up an X9 rear cassette (and short cage derraileur) along with the X9 gear shift lever. A 9 speed chain completed the transformation.

My bike is not a "high end" carbon machine so that’s why I went with the componenets that I did. You might want to increase or decrease the quality of your build but mine is a great balance of value and quality.Couldn’t be happier.Good luck!

[jmick]

Depends on where u ride and riding style. I am running a 1 x 9 sram x9 setup with short cage derailleur and mrp chainguide. 38t chainring up front with 11-34 cassette in the back. I don’t have a huge bike budget and I did the work myself (easy). In a word, liberating. Super quick shifts and responsive pedaling (no slack in the chain). If you go to a single chainring consider a 34 to 38t instead of the 32t ring you likely have on your 3 x ? setup now. Also, the short cage derailleur is the way to go if you switch to a single ring. Shifts are like "click click boom"! Alas, I ride singletrack in the SE (mostly GA) so others may not appreciate this setup.

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