I am seriously lost in the technical jargon/marketing language in bike drivetrains. As the title mentions, I have a 1x11 Cutthroat with Apex 1 rear set.
(
https://salsacycles.com/bikes/cutthroat/2019_cutthroat_apex_1_sus)
I am exploring options for getting to some lower gear ratios. If I look at SRAM site for the Rival 1(
https://www.sram.com/en/sram/models/rd-riv-1-a2), it says the derailleur can handle up to a 42 tooth cog, which is what is on the bike now. However, I have seen what appears to be bigger cassettes on the same rear derailleur at
https://bikepacking.com/bikes/tour-divide-rigs-2019 (John Girmsey's bike is an Apex 1 with a '9-46 eThirteen cassette').
Is there some modification that needs to be done for that to work, or is it simply backing out the b-screw? Is shift quality going to be compromised?
The other thing I've been looking at is aftermarket chain rings, but I get even more lost in the weeds there.
This is my crankset:
https://www.sram.com/en/truvativ/models/fc-styl-6k-b1 SRAM says it can go as low at 30t ring. Is it that they only make a 30t ring for that crank, or that there is some other limitation on a smaller ring?
I'm looking at Wolftooth
https://www.wolftoothcomponents.com/collections/mountain/products/direct-mount-chainrings-for-sram-cranks?variant=26132212997 Am I correct that I would need the BB30, which means I can use a 28t ring? Is that compatible with my crankset?
TIA
[edit] fixed broken link