Originally Posted by
kba002
...
...I checked with my local bike shop and was quoted $600 for making it into 2x. I will try 1x for my first tour and if I miss high gear, I can always switch it to 2x....
It's not just the high-low range.
You also need to consider the gear spacing.
1x with an adequate range will have odd or too large spacing between gears.
2x with well-selected rings and cassette will just about double your gear options.
This is ueber-important when touring with heavy gear and/or into the wind.