Originally Posted by
mstateglfr
Ok. I asked why get rid of your current drivetrain because in general, the wider range of gearing will help when you when carrying gear bikepacking and also because wider tires effectively make gearing more difficult. And a 3x drivetrain is an easy way to get that wider range on the low end. A simple swap to a Sugino XD600 crank with 46/36/26 rings would give you all the range you need and eliminate the higher gearing you mention you will never use.
Not trying to talk you out of 1x, just curious since you already have a capable drivetrain in place. Going 1x certainly makes sense, given your ideals.
Getting rid of the current drivetrain is part of a bigger story. I have an old Trek 520 that needs some updating. Chainrings and RD are worn out. I thought about moving the 105 drivetrain over to the Trek and then getting a new GRX setup for the newer bike. Just not sure if I should go single or double. I think I'm sold on the 650b though.
After a couple of seasons, I've come to the realization that the Trek is better touring bike than my new Marinoni. It just needs some updating. So I want to repurpose the Marinoni as a dedicated mixed surface bike.