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How good really is the Straitline Silent guide ?

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tuumbaq

Monkey
Jul 5, 2006
725
0
Squamish BC
Building a new bike and need a new guide....So far, Ive had 2 Gamuts , which didnt turn out to be all that good for me, Ive also had a bunch of MRP's, decent but bent the backplate all the time, replaced the damn roller several times, cracked the top guide twice as well...Ive had 2 different generations of E13 which were both really good to me and out of the bunch the E13 gave me less problems ...

I REALLY like the idea and simplicity of the Straitline, other than the look ( alu bash isnt really doing it for me ) the price is right, the weight and all...but do they really work all that well?My Gamuts were both pain in the ass,would always end up jamming the chain somehow, the rollers didnt last long at all and hated the thing...The Straitline sorta reminds me of the Gamut and Im a bit skeptical about those Silent Guide. I dont really see a lot of those around here and I'd like to hear if there is any BAD stuff about them...:confused:
 
canadmos

canadmos

Cake Tease
May 29, 2011
20,437
19,446
Canaderp
Agreed. I had used Truvativ Box Guide which was just **** and also two Ethirteen guides. The ethirteen stuff is ok, but I've had the pulleys lock up and seize and some of the plastic also cracked.

I installed a Straitline guide on a friends bike and it has been literally one of those situations where you set it and forget it. It just works and there is nothing to worry about. The only downside is the price. $150 for 50g of aluminum and two chunks of plastic?
 
Kanye West

Kanye West

220# bag of hacktastic
Aug 31, 2006
3,741
473
It's great!

Simple, tougher than hell, silent, low maintenance, and it's another great option for keeping your bike Weagle-free!
 
blacksim549

blacksim549

Chimp
Oct 15, 2007
58
0
Quebec.
I ran the Silentguide for the most of my summer (until I gently exploded it, my crank and chainring on a rock at MSA, but that's another story) and never had trouble except one or two times when it feathered a rock (damn those Wilsons are low) and it rotated. But it was pretty much a trouble-less chainguide.

But THEN, my Silentguide being exploded, I had to slap back my LG1+ on my bike. That's when I saw the difference (I should say 'heard'). Damn that LG1+ is loud. I am so getting a new Silentguide this winter.
 
Cant Climb

Cant Climb

Turbo Monkey
May 9, 2004
2,683
10
Straitline is great but there is some chain drag resistance when pedaling. That silent rubber has some friction.
 
T

tuumbaq

Monkey
Jul 5, 2006
725
0
Squamish BC
thanks guys,I think Im going to give it a try ! How does the Alu bashguard holding up ?Sure id be plenty strong but I wouldnt want the thing to look all beat up after only a few months
 
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yd35

yd35

Monkey
Oct 28, 2008
741
61
NY
Another fan of the Straitline guide here. I've ridden it hard for about 2 DH seasons with no problems. As others have noted it is indeed silent, and in terms of the comment about the roller causing drag, I don't think it's a huge issue, and it gets better as the chain wears a groove in the plastic. The bash is black so mine has shiny aluminum bits showing where I've smoked it on rocks, but there are no warps or cracks.
 
S

sbabuser

Turbo Monkey
Dec 22, 2004
1,114
55
Golden, CO
Bah, the bashguard is just more weight you have to spin up to speed. Why spend extra money for lightweight pedals and then bolt something else on to your cranks?
:p
Edit: forgot the smiley. Sorry...

But with the LG1, you get the clickety go fast noises that the hub makes EVEN WHILE you're pedaling. FTMFW!
 
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tuumbaq

Monkey
Jul 5, 2006
725
0
Squamish BC
sbabuser said:
Bah, the bashguard is just more weight you have to spin up to speed. Why spend extra money for lightweight pedals and then bolt something else on to your cranks?
Click to expand...
not sure I get what you're saying.I spend 30$ a year on cheap Wellgo pedals because I got tired of wasting money on "thin" , expensive and disposable pedals.They are light enough for me and plenty gripy.The Straitline guide is one of the lightest, sturdy guide out there and the design requires a retaining device to keep the chain from falling off . . .

whats your point ?

thanks for your answer yd35 :thumb:
 
Kanye West

Kanye West

220# bag of hacktastic
Aug 31, 2006
3,741
473
sbabuser said:
Bah, the bashguard is just more weight you have to spin up to speed. Why spend extra money for lightweight pedals and then bolt something else on to your cranks?
Click to expand...
I seriously hope this is a joke. Small changes in bashguard weight and pedal weight will NEVER amount to any noticeable amount of inertial drag when your power generator can put 400 some odd lbs of peak load on the system end of the arm. The only place that would make a difference would be in overall bike weight, and even then with it's placement on the bike...not so much.
 
rav400

rav400

Monkey
Aug 31, 2009
177
6
The Right Coast
I love my Silent Guide. The e13's are so loud compared to the Straitline. As for the bash ring, I never ran it. I installed a poly Blackspire bash ring rather than the aluminum Straitline. I thought the poly would slide better on rocks and such at speed. I end up throwing the aluminum Straitline on my trail bike since it needed a guard.
 
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norbar

norbar

KESSLER PROBLEM. Just cause
Jun 7, 2007
11,368
1,605
Warsaw :/
Best guide ever. Managed to drift it into a rock and I thought it was toast. All happened was I lost 2 screws mounting the bash and it still allowed me to do a full Champery wc track run. It's the most hassle free guide on the market. Had it for 2 seasons, not it's in the box only because I'm testing something else for a local magazine. I will put it back for the next season.
 
A

AutoPilotOff

Chimp
Jan 4, 2010
41
0
Easily the best guide I have owned. Set it and forget it. I ordered it with black sliders and it looked clean a f#*@.
 
boylagz

boylagz

Monkey
Jul 12, 2011
558
61
SF bay area
Another user here. Had it on my SXT and its been the best. Just make sure you have the correct no. of spacers behind the backplate. Before I adjusted I dropped the chain twice. After being spaced correctly, never dropped another chain... :D
 
Y

yetihenry

Monkey
Aug 9, 2009
241
1
Whistler, BC
I'm a big fan and happily went back to a metal bash. Quieter than my p30/lg1/lg1+/srs/srs+/system3 and strong too.

I snapped a renthal chainring the other week, but the bash held it almost in place, so was happy with that.

Also swapping out the green wear plates for black makes it stealthy and still cheaper than most guides.
 
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EastCoaster

Monkey
Mar 30, 2002
403
0
Southeastern PA
I'm probably going with one for my next guide. I like my Gamut. But, have had to replace the lower roller when it got crudded up and wouldn't spin. A $40 fix as it's only sold as a single piece. But, even when it was siezed up, the resistance wasn't that bad. Noisy though.
.. can't imagine that the slide on the Straitline would be any worse.

Fugly bash on the Straitline though. Would probably use the Gamut bash with it.

When BIKE mag did a review of the Silent Guide, they pretty much said that the review could've gone something like, "I put it on my bike. I haven't had to give it a thought since. Review over."
That's saying something.
 
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S

staike

Monkey
May 19, 2011
247
0
Norway
Got one a week ago and have used it for 4 days of bikepark riding, really impressed with it. Forgot to bring chainlube and even then my drivetrain didn't make any noise. Little resistance as well. Bought some blue wear plates to match my frame now as well!
 
E

EastCoaster

Monkey
Mar 30, 2002
403
0
Southeastern PA
So, pricing with this thing. Up there. Especially if you buy he whole guide and then new wear plates to match your bike if you don't dig green.

Like I said. I think that the Straitline bash is ugly. I already have a few alu and poly Gamut bashes around.

So, if I go on... say... Universal. I can get the replacement boom alone, and then buy wear plates of my color choice, for way cheaper than for the full guide.

Just have to figure out what size hardware to get at my local store. Looks to be a couple of different types to hold the plates to the boom.
Anyone have the sizes?
 
6thElement

6thElement

Schrodinger's Immigrant
Jul 29, 2008
15,940
13,189
I was looking at buying just the boom myself the other day. But I don't think the wear guides come with the required mounting screws, at least I couldn't find any with the green ones which are back in my parts bin after I bought black ones for my build last year.

Be interested to know if you find a source for the right size.
 
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davec113

davec113

Monkey
May 24, 2009
419
0
The larger slider bolts are a standard size, I just got replacements at a local hardware store. They are steel instead of aluminum though, an extra 10 grams, lol. My replacement sliders came with the small bolts.

I need to email straitline and see if this thing works with a 10 spd chain, I've dropped mine 2x and it looks like its spaced out right... A friend dropped his chain too, but the idiots at the LBS didn't install it correctly.
 
norbar

norbar

KESSLER PROBLEM. Just cause
Jun 7, 2007
11,368
1,605
Warsaw :/
davec113 said:
The larger slider bolts are a standard size, I just got replacements at a local hardware store. They are steel instead of aluminum though, an extra 10 grams, lol. My replacement sliders came with the small bolts.

I need to email straitline and see if this thing works with a 10 spd chain, I've dropped mine 2x and it looks like its spaced out right... A friend dropped his chain too, but the idiots at the LBS didn't install it correctly.
Click to expand...
You really have to be something special not to install this guide properly. Easiest thing to setup in my live.


As for 10 speed falling off I see no way how. There isn't space for any chain between my bash and sliders.
 
davec113

davec113

Monkey
May 24, 2009
419
0
norbar said:
You really have to be something special not to install this guide properly. Easiest thing to setup in my live.


As for 10 speed falling off I see no way how. There isn't space for any chain between my bash and sliders.
Click to expand...
lol, leave it to a LBS. Not enough spacers between ISCG tabs and guide... they obviously didn't even look at the instructions. This is on a friend's bike BTW.

On my bike, I wish I knew how my chain dropped. I had to remove the lower guide to get the chain back, it seemed like there wasn't enough space. And I have the 32t guide so there isn't any other adjustments to make... I am going to add spacers to mine even though I don't think it should be necessary, wear on the lower slider is where it should be.
 
norbar

norbar

KESSLER PROBLEM. Just cause
Jun 7, 2007
11,368
1,605
Warsaw :/
It's more expensive that's for sure. Kinda steep for a blackspire product but if it works? Why not.
 
S

sbabuser

Turbo Monkey
Dec 22, 2004
1,114
55
Golden, CO
Found the Blackspire Der guide at Bikeparts.com today for $125, so I bought it. Mighta gotten a Straitline instead of the LG1 for my Enduro a few months ago, but couldn't stomache the green with my red wheels, and so then with black guide plates it's $50 more than the LG1...
 
T

tuumbaq

Monkey
Jul 5, 2006
725
0
Squamish BC
Just saw that the new MRP G3 will be come with both a roller pulley AND a slider...anyone knows when they will be available ? Might be an interesting option as well....
 
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