1x1 to 8x1
 

I'm thinking of converting my Surly 1x1 to an expedition/touring bike.

I'm touring in a year, so have time to save money, but even still my budget is reasonably tight. I need some advice regarding virtually every aspect of this venture:

So far the choices I've made are:

Shimano Alfine hub (I'd prefer a Rohloff, but $$$$!)
Old man mountain racks
Carradice, CarraDry front and rear panniers.
Eureka Solo Spitfire Tent
Possibly a dyno hub, front wheel.
Possiblya bike computer, but I know nothing about these things.

Any advice or experience with these products? Any advice gratefully accepted.

My first question is what chain ring and rear sprocket combo have you chosen and leading from that
what will you're gear range be. The Alfine's top gear is 3 times the bottom.

I have a Shimano Nexus 8-speed hub, I think that's the same as an Alfine, right? I like it. Once you get an internally geared hub, it's hard to go back to derailleurs.

If you're using a normal size (26", 700c or 27") wheel, you typically want a 2:1 ratio between the (front) chain ring and the (rear) cog, i.e. 38:19 or the like. If you use smaller wheels, increase the ratio; for 16" wheels, for example, 52:16 works pretty well. Work out the details with a gear calculator.

I also have dynamo hubs on the bikes I use much. I like them.

If you are looking at putting new hubs in your wheels, I strongly recommend learning to build the wheels yourself. It is not rocket science; in fact it is a lot of fun, and if you follow the excellent instructions found online, not much can go wrong.

First thing I'd do is email Surly, see if they have any suggestions, they're good about replying to these kinds of inquiries. I'd assume the frame can take an IH but there may be some "gotchas." The geometry may also be less than optimal for carrying loads.

I'm a little curious as to why you selected the Alfine. For what it's worth, I've seen a lot of people using Shimano Nexus "Red Band" IH's, none using the Alfine for touring.

I'd get a bike computer. You don't need anything fancy, but I find it very helpful to keep track of time on the bike and to help figure out how long you've got until your next destination. Keep in mind that you need to drink and consume calories while you're riding; rule of thumb is 500ml of liquid and 250 calories.

I'd skip on the dyno hub as well. There are plenty of LED lights that take AA batteries and last a long time.

Last but not least, I highly recommend you do some short tours before what I assume is a big tour. That way you can figure out what works and what doesn't, and won't have to make major adjustments when you're on the road.

with 26" x 1.9" tyres you could get a good range of 85" - 28" on 39 x 19 or 75" - 25" on 34 x 19.