Gravel / Gravé / Gnarmac / Groad / ATB

Each to their own on this Syncro malarkey.

I haven't used my left hand shifter since I went to Di2. coming from a mtb background it suites me, and I enjoy the fact i can just ride and not think about gears (much) - a bit like an auto car.
Also if you have a Garmin hooked up too it'll beep before you make a Big > Small ring change so you know just to ease a second.

Have no Di2 experience but you can change gear and brake from the tops with etap.

AXS range means I’m basically in the little ring off-road & use the big ring to get there. Unusually for SRAM, I’ve also had no issue with FD shifting so far. The FD battery is basically a big mud catcher as it sits so close to the rear wheel though

Riding on the tops is a no-go for me on tech stuff.
I just don't see the benefit of carrying the extra weight and complication of an FD on a bike designed for off road. So far, most of the pro-FD arguments here seem to be, 'I just use the small ring off road and cross-chain' which doesn't leave you with any of the 2x chainline benefits. The only thing you're left with is a bit more range, but modern 1x systems have plenty unless maybe you're racing and/or loaded.

Which one? I've recently got an HVRT.

All this 1X argument just because I'm too tight to spend £80 on a cassette chain and cog :D

Update on the build anyway,
I've decided to go right-hand side remote Di2 climbing shifter on TRP brakes set up as Full Synchro DI2 to go through all the gears.

Anyone wanna buy some Di2 brake/shifters and disc callipers?

Asking for a friend. How simple/cost-effective would it be to change a Trek X Caliber 8 (12 speed Sram) into a drop bar hardtail?

My original thought you'd just need some bars, new shifters and probably a new shorter stem but will it work with the current setup?

Finding a drop bar lever to work with Shimano calipers and SRAM Eagle might be tricky.

new shifter

Which ones? SRAM don't make mechanical 12 speed drop bar shifters.

Honestly it's not worth the trouble, without even touching the putting drop bars on an MTB aspect. Sell it and buy a gravel bike.

Front rim for 650B dynamo wheel...

i25 WTB Light or i25 WTB Tough?
430g vs. 476g

Which one?

this was my worry, end up needing pretty much a complete new groupset.

Also confirmed my worries! I wasn't sure if there was some kind of work around, gravel bike it is.

Feel free to suggest something else completely. I just got bored with the 1x derision and I have a dyno hub that needs swapping in or building new so I'm toying with the latter and going to a wider rim.

I think I'm going Light because it'll have huge rubber fitted and 32h to keep things toight like a toiger.

I wasn't sure if there was some kind of work around

There is this 12 speed conversion kit for 11 speed SRAM road shifters...

Feel free to suggest something else completely

Nah, both good rims. I was just making a cheap fat joke

.

Oh, normally I would 100% have selected the Fat Man option. It just seems it may be a bit overkill for a gravel bike in the mountains with big rubber fitted that isn't being used for "gravity" events like they mention. Not that I have any concept of what adding another 50g to the front rim would do to ride feel.

It would make the handling less telepathic.

No no no, telepathy is enabled purely through spoke tension

aka power of stoke.

42 x 11-42 isn’t plenty though in reality for a gravel bike. For long or technical off road climbs you need lower than that, especially if you’re carrying luggage.... for linking up on the roads you need higher than that. My MTB has 32 x 10-51 and that’s ok but only because getting over 16-18mph on the flat is more effort than it’s worth. 42 x 10-51 might be an improvement if it didn’t require an XTR di2 mech etc but 30/46 x 11-46 is cheaper and more range?

interesting bit of kit, videos make it look relatively easy too...

I love telly