During 2020 I built up a bike with a SRAM Eagle 10-50T twelve-speed cassette on garden-variety Shimano XT disc hubs driven by a 40T thick-thin single chainwheel. SRAM Eagle GX rear (one and only) derailleur. Shifting on the drop bar is handled by a Microshift BR-SR-M12 indexed bar end. The 1x12 well-spaced indexed ratios go from a 21 g.i. low to a 104 g.i. high.
I've been assured that this 1x12 gear range is ridiculously inadequate for touring. The Trek 520 is triple geared 20-108 g.i. The Surly Disc Trucker is triple geared 21-110 g.i. So, you know, whatever.
so yours is a 11-50, so less top end, but thats ok.
My question still is looking at chain life with all the crosschaining going on? I realize this is not easy to find this info, as 12 spd stuff is mostly used in mtb world, so dirty and cruddy.
but it does have real world implications, so even though the gear inch range of your 11-50 is pretty darn good (low on the high end though still a bit) and new tech is cool, how long will this stuff last vs 8,9,10 speed setups, and how much is the cost and availability of 11-50 cassettes and 12 spd chains?
Im all for new stuff, its just that in touring, there is a real world advantage of having commonly found and a reasonable price/performance balance.
it seems the whole 1x thing just doesnt want to address these questions/aspects.