First Look: OneUp Launches Competitively Priced Narrow Wide Chainring and Updated RADr Cage

In the past few years 1X drivetrains have taken the mountain bike world by storm, largely as a result of new chainring and drivetrain technologies first introduced with SRAM XX1. Today there are dozens of options for narrow/wide style chainrings, but there are very few as affordable as OneUp's latest release.

Exactly one year ago OneUp released the first 42-tooth adapter sprocket that made waves because it allowed riders to switch to a 1X drivetrain with a large range at a reduced cost. They followed with 40 tooth version, a 16 tooth sprocket to improve shift consistency, and later the RAD cage derailleur upgrade to solve a few minor issues with the hacked 1x10 system. The new OneUp Narrow Wide Chainring completes the package.

Narrow Wide Chainring Highlights

Alternating narrow/wide tooth profile reduces chain drop
Available in 30/32/24 tooth sizes
2mm chainline shims included to perfect your chainline
Reuse your existing ring hardware
Crud chamfers for mud shedding and extended ring life
Reinforced wide tooth design
Made from hard wearing 7075-T6 aluminum plate
30 tooth ring has integrated chainring threads
Compatible with Shimano’s new tool-less nut design
104mm BCD (SRAM direct mount GXP rings coming soon)
Compatible with 9/10/11 speed chains
Weight: 40g (30 tooth), 44g (32 tooth), 54g (34 tooth), 2g (Shims)
Colors: Green, Black
MSRP: $47 (32/34 tooth), $53 (30 tooth)

The shims that are included with the ring save a few extra dollars on your 1X conversion. For 2X crank conversions, placing the shims between the crank and ring gets you back to an ideal 48-50mm chainline. For 3X crank conversions, shims under the bolt heads allow reuse of your existing M8x8.5mm hardware. No new bolt packs required.

Also new is the second generation RAD cage. The RADr cage helps a clutched Shimano rear derailleur work better with an extended range cassette. By replacing the cage it relocates the upper pulley so that it can follow the contours of the cassette more closely throughout the movement range of the derailleur, creating crisper shifting and more chain wrap in the taller gears (SRAM derailleurs already have similar geometry in place). It also means you don't need to mess around with a longer B-screw. The previous RAD cage was designed for medium cage derailleurs, while the new cage is best with more compact derailleurs like Saint and ZEE. According to OneUp, the RADr cage is the lowest profile 42 tooth compatible option available.