If the Lefty works… 
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I know, I’m agreeing with you!
Sure….but my comment had nothing to do with a double diamond design. It was focused specifically on the idea of removing the drive side chainstay. The chain forces are horizontal and if you remove the drive side chainstay, you are moving the primary structure resisting those forces. So you would need to beef of both the seat tube / BB area as well as any kind of seat stay structure to such a degree that it would be too heavy.
It is also one of the reasons why elevated chainstays are really that effective. Back in the 90’s, there were a number of elevated chainstay bikes and they almost all had problems with throwing the chains because of frame flex. The Gary Fisher HooKooEKoo was a prime example (combined with the stays actually breaking).
Dropped chainstays bring chainsuck into play…a really bad problem for carbon frames. 
I thought the UCI-mandated double diamond has two chainstays, so what you are proposing was not a double diamond design in the sense of the UCI. So in my mind, we were talking about the same thing.
Maybe you are arguing that removing one of the chainstays in a double diamond design is still a double diamond frame, just one that isn’t UCI legal. I don’t have an opinion on that (it is semantics to me, chiefly because I don’t know whether there is a proper term for such a design).
There are other ways to go beyond the double-diamond construction (e. g. no top tube, no seat stays), which is something you see in tri bikes. There were also Y-shaped mountain bike frames in the 1990s. These no longer exist. However, giving bike manufacturers the freedom to go beyond is IMHO important, because this experimentation can lead to bikes that are better for customers in meaningful ways. When I hear whispers of the UCI limiting tire sizes, I think this is the exact opposite. If in 20 years the TdF is won on 2.25" rubber (I’m being facetious), because that is faster, then that is what riders should and should be able to ride.
Sorry, let me clarify….I am not making any point re: double diamond frames or UCI design regulations. @JonGreengrass said that you could remove the drive side chainstay as an option to increase tire clearance. Such an idea is impractical because it would be structurally compromised. It would either suffer from drivtrain issues or be impracticality heavy.
I couldn’t cares less if it was a double-diamond frame or complied with UCI regulations.
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Ah, ok. Indeed, I went along a different tangent (that UCI regulations stifle innovation).
From a technical point of view, I agree. Unless you want to use the “natural flex” as a sort of suspension (which also deflects sideways, unfortunately).
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100% accurate.
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That’s also a feature of UCI regulations, not a bug 
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Is the front ring on 13SP Red XPLR compatible with a 12 speed chain? If so, agree that makes it pretty easy to switch back and forth if you have the cassette and derailuer.
Yes. It is reportedly the same for both.
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It damn well better be, I have Red XPLR PM cranks with a 44T ring showing up tomorrow 
I’ve seen other people reportedly running this setup and Looks like the exact same ring interface as on the MTB cranks, will be able to confirm soon.
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x-post for write-up:
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Back to the tire discussion.
Not making a particular assumption here, but found it interesting that Brennan Wertz just won gravel nationals on a Mosaic GT-1 iAR, a bike with 40mm tire clearance. I can’t tell from the photos, but appears to be a rene hearse slick. Not sure what width.
He beat some top racers - Keegan, Russell Finsterwald, Griffin Easter, Dylan Johnson, etc.
It’ll be interesting to see some recaps. I have no idea what anyone else was running, but I’m sure we’ll see some setups soon.
Based on the 6sec gap, i bet it played out with him attacking at the end and everyone looked at eachother not wanting to pull.
Dylan is a good racer, but not a top one.
Tires are a small gain, but in road like race courses, tactics and pure power are gonna be a much bigger gain
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From my recollection of the coverage at release it’s literally the same chain, now labeled as 13sp compatible.
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Found this article interesting, particular the below
section.
“I had zero confidence going into this race, so I had to be a bit more conservative. I didn’t feel great on the day of the race, and I struggled a bit in the race when the pace heated up. Without expectations, I had a little more freedom to be aggressive with my bike setup choices. In the end, I didn’t change anything over last year—well, almost: Last year, I was on 38 mm Barlow Pass tires; this year, I ran 44 mm Snoqualmies. There was a lot of talk of riders running ultra-wide mountain bike tires, big knobbies, that sort of thing. So I thought about taking my gravel bike… However, the last two kilometers are on pavement, slightly downhill, and superfast. In my mind, that makes it a picture-perfect course for my all-road bike with smooth tires from Rene Herse. I figured that, if I get to the finish, I want the fastest setup possible. I might struggle a bit during the sandy sections and the rough doubletrack, but if I survive that, I can make a move at the end.
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More referring to him being sick, his tire choice, or bike choice selection based on the strategy of the sprint finish?
He’s a big guy, but he also recently held 500 watts for an hour. Probably not a guy you want to be in a sprint finish with. Granted everyone is pretty strong at that level.
All of the above I guess. Just curious what all the wider is better crowd would say to his rationale. Don’t agree / disagree just interesting to see someone win on an all road bike with 44 slicks and not 2.2s. I think tires are still a course depenedent and personal choice and lots of testing to still figure out what is best!
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Interesting to see that Paige Onweller stuff 2.2 Kenda Rush’s into her Checkmate. She indicated that she trimmed the knobs but clearly a tight fit. I assume this is still the stock Checkmate.
Trek’s got to be under pressure when their Pro’s are clearly wanting to run the bigger tires. I wonder how short the lifecycle on the current Checkmate frame is going to be? Pay attention at Unbound next year to what the Pro’s are on. It wouldnt shock me if they are on prototypes with more clearance.
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I can’t quite tell from the IG photos, but Lauren Stephens, who won gravel worlds & gravel nationals, said she was riding 47mm Vittoria Terreno at the gravel worlds. I believe she won SBT gravel as well.
Seems in the top 10’s there’s still a blend between 45 & 2.2’s. Not sure if it’s due to clearance or still preferences.