After some more thought, and riding... The 1x9 conversion is done, on the cheap. New 32t chainring, New 11-42t cassette. Surprisingly, the RD covers, but barely. New chain, plus a few old links. I'm not impressed with the Microshift brand shifter. hill. Slow, or maybe I just a bit more tweaking. Or stop buying cheap stuff...
Tonight's 7 kill ride was 1/3 soft sand and dirt covering odd shaped rocks.. The rest was streets, and all uphill. Downside to living on the top of the hill.
1x will take a little getting used to.. but if I need speed, I have roadbikes...