In reply to blackmountainbiker:
> This is a full sus we're talking about remember,
Not sure why this would change a great deal, if anything a more gravity orientated setup would show up the short higher range as he's be descending faster. But a full sus could be a
Anyhow, just looking at how cheap narrow wide chainrings are on ebay now, the OP could pick up a few different sizes for very little and give it a go.
If I had a 40 out back and a was determined to go 1X I think I'd look at a 34 and 36 for the front, probably a 34 if on bigger wheels. But IMO, without a massive cassette out back like the 10-50 SRAM Eagle I'd consider a 1X setup a compromise. I'm not fully onboard with 1X in the lower price range as my front mech and shifter etc cause so little trouble and don't really weigh much so I can't see the problem.