New drivetrain vs my new drivetrain

I still have a few changes to make to get my bike back in working order.  So far the effort I have been giving on these projects is to move me over to a 1 X 9 drivetrain.  I really love the look of the bashguard, and I really want to remove the front derailleur also.  I hesitate though, and also regress back to thoughts of putting the 1st cog back on the crankset just to have 2 upfront gears.  But time will tell what works in which terrain.  If I went to a park, I don't know that this will be a good choice.  But I can quick put the other pieces cog 1 & 3 back on to this setup and rollout.  Thoughts?

So I found this article today.  Take a look, I believe it could be a natural evolution of the biking industry... right where I was heading.

BikeRumor.com article - 1 X 11 drivetrain review

Crank swap and Bottom Bracket change FINISHED!

Yesterday I decided to spend some time at the shop working on the crank/bottom bracket swap for the Specizalized Enduro 2007.  The bike had a Truvativ Style GXP BB/crankset.  However, I had bought a XC RaceFace X-type BB/crankset.  So here are the results of the swap.  The RaceFace bash guard looks AMAZING on the bike now.

 Here is a meeting of the parts...

 Here we have the bike on the ground, and we are removing the GXP bottom bracket.

 Here the GXP bottom bracket is removed.

 Nice and clean!

 The GXP bottom bracket is the silver one, while the black bottom bracket is the X-type by RaceFace.

 Notice the GXP is a clear center... Which the X-type is a black center tube... they are both plastic with o-rings on each end.

 Another shot of all the parts needed to swap, present and ready for a photo opportunity.

 I was informed to use this to keep the bottom bracket from seizing during the next removal process.

 It is very copper in color, and also very thick!

I just applied the anti-seize lube to the threads on the inside.

 Almost done with the installation of the new X-type bottom bracket.

 Looks like this Truvativ Stylo GXP crankset/bottom bracket really got some use in the last 5 years, eh?

 Here, the 9r frame is getting smaller and smaller... good, hopefully I will sell it on Craigslist.

 Bash guard side...

This looks really good, at least IMHO!!!

Cleaned and ready for next steps in overhaul...

Here are a couple of shots outside in the sun today.  This is a general overview of the bike with wheels, and tires, installed and brakes are working.  The shifters have no cables, and no housings on at this time.  They will be put back in when the bike goes back to the shop in a few days.  The other problem I had at the shop visit yesterday is that the crankset did not want to fit in the bottom bracket that is on the Specialized now.  So I might change that with the one that is on the niner frame, since I know it worked with the RaceFace XC crankset.
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Getting down to the core, and cleaning up a bit...

Just took a whole lot of things apart, and cleaned and prepared things to start going back together.  Here are some annotated shots of the process:
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 Tools...

Parts washer...

 Using the parts washer... heated solution is streaming out of the brush/wand... 

There is a runoff bucket for things that need to soak.

 Overall shot of the mechanic shop area...

 Ever have to use a chain whip?  This tool helps you to remove the cassette from the rear freewheel hub, so that you can get it all cleaned up.

 Here the bike has just basically gotten a degreaser sponge bath here.  It is all cleaned up and ready to be wiped over and inspected.

 I went over all the critical parts, like the shock wipers, and things are looking great.

 Seals rings and crevices cleaned up & out, means we are about done.

 Put the chainguard back on there to finish drying.

 The cassette breaks into a few pieces, but this is a really easy thing for anyone to do.  You just need a chain whip, and the specific cassette tool bit.

 I will get some cleaned up photos in the next posting.

Lizard Skin chainstay cover

I took this dusty very fragile neoprene & velcro cover to the sink, hand washed it, and set it aside.

Beginning breakdown...

Here the bike had no wheels on, the chain & rear derailleur are removed. Everything is bein taken off the bike first.

More crank action, teardown and rebuild too...

Here are some photos from todays wrenching action shot portfolio.
These shots are before any changes were made.