PeterF

"even used one of their Abbey Tools titanium hammers as a bike stand .... 😶" That is my son with the Abbey Tools Titanium Hammer 🤣

There should also be some gravel roads towards Swellendam, maybe past Malgas.

I converted my road bike to 1x using a 50 tooth Absolute Black oval chainring up front and a Shimano XT 11-40 cassette at the back with an Ultegra RX derailleur to handle the shifting. It works beautifully and I have all the gears I need. I don't use it for gravel riding though.

Probably letting the air out of the shock would be the easiest. You will obviously need a shock pump though.

Isn't it possible to remove the spider and fit a direct mount chainring?

The 12 speed XT shifter is available with a bar clamp. I don't know if you can purchase the clamp separately though.

Please don't encourage DieselnDust.😁

This will maybe solve the problem at the bottom of the pedal stroke but won't it compound the problem at the top of the pedal stroke?

Hasie and the Robots.

Lol, my Dremel is cordless.😁

Use a Dremel tool to cut a slot in the bolt head then you can use a flat screwdriver to remove it.

Go to a bolt supplier and ask for a high tensile bolt.

The air pressure is to control the return speed of the dropper and not to keep it up.

Go to Crossways you will not be disappointed.

Not advisable, unfortunately there is the occasional mugging in the valley.

The chances of finding an 8mm long bolt are slim. Some cutting may be required.

A few months ago someone cycled passed me on the most amazing wooden bike I've ever seen. It was a "Volk" bike, some googling revealed that it was made right here in P.E.

"Full suspension bikes have chain growth. As the rear wheel moves up it also moves back. The up and rear movement increases the distance from the front chain ring. If this isn’t accounted for you could destroy chains, derailleurs, wheels or more depending on what let’s go first." I borrowed the above from an online article. Might be your problem. https://bikeco.com/size-mtb-chain-video/

The only valid point that you have is the bigger gaps between gears. The shifting is precise and have not dropped a chain once since going 1x.

I thought that the gaps in the gearing would be an issue but it actually is not (to me anyway). In my opinion with a 50t up front and 11-40 or 42 at the back you have all the gears you will ever need.

I can't comment on the SRAM Force setup, but I went 1x on my Shimano 105 equipped road bike. I just swopped out the rear derailleur for a Shimano Ultegra RX derailleur, put a Shimano XT 11-40 cassette on the back and an Absolute Black oval 50 tooth chainring on the front and loving it.

Look at the Giant Anthem and Trek Fuel as well, great bikes.

I fitted a Shimano Ultegra RX800 rear derailleur to my road bike with a Shimano XT 11-40 cassette and it shifts perfectly. Running 1x though.

Gorilla tape will work for most tubeless applications.

I think that this gearing will be perfect for gravel riding and you could swop out the chainring to a 50t for your road riding. I am running a 1x11 setup on my road bike with a 50t in front and 11-40t at the back and I can't say that I run out of gears.