Current Projects chat and miscellany

biggest problem I have is the chainset... I could really do with some advice on this.
My first thoughts were decore or 105s. The chainset is the most important thing, bc after that it'll only really be simple switches, like tyres or bar setup.

My concern with decore is the possible ratios for touring. But then a triple 105 has a 130bcd and I wonder if I'll be able to get a small enough ring for dirt.

Seek out Shimano's less often seen touring Deore, 26/36/48 rings, if you're concerned about having a high enough gear for those touring descents. That way, you don't need to use an 11-up cassette. A 12-27 cassette with that will give you reasonably close ratios all the way from 1:1, below which you're walking, to 4:1, above which you can freewheel. Notwithstanding that, the Shimano road triples are 130/74 pcd, so although you can't go smaller than 38 for the middle ring, you can go down to 24t on the granny ring if you can find a front dérailleur to cope.