I use an" impact wrench" style method for removing the sprocket. That is, once the chain whip and wrench are set up opposite to each other I lift the wheel about 6 inches off the ground and drop it and push down on the wrenches at the same time.  This usually gives enough shock load that it really doesn't take much effort to break the sprocket free. It can pretty much be removed by hand after that, so, like mickeg, I just lay the wheel flat on the ground, sprocket up. That way there is almost no oil loss.

I’m back from Japan, but that’s a story for another thread. I want to share my experience with the new Wahoo Elemnt Bolt.
Was it flawless? Definitely not. There was never a day where I didn’t need assistance from the phone and Google Maps 2 or 3 times. However, I found out last time that Google and Apple themselves are both far, far from perfect when it comes to routing in Japan.

First, to answer Matt’s question, once the Japan map was loaded onto the Bolt via the Wahoo app, importing the GPX file from Komoot was a simple process, and the map showed up fine. Sometimes, the GPS and Wahoo base map would differ slightly, and I would get a warning that I was off course, because the dot on the screen and the line on the map did not lineup 
Japan’s mountains are also  criss crossed with thousands upon thousands  of tiny forest roads, called rindo. Sometimes these were on the Komoot map, but not the Wahoo base map  There were a few times when I was obediently following the Komoot breadcrumb trail, and the Wahoo became completely confused because there was no longer a road to follow. Pulling out the phone didn't help, because the track I was on was not on GoogleMaps.
So, Matt, if you are still thinking of a GPS unit for your Thailand trip, I think that there will be no problem with importing the GPX from Komoot on to Wahoo’s base map . If Google maps gave you reliable directions on your phone, it should not be a problem on the GPS. Japan seems to be a challenge for every routing program I have used.
 
If I could turn back the clock and do it again, would I get the the same unit? I would have to say for touring I would recommend a unit with a larger screen, like the Roam, or a similar sized Garmin. The battery life, weather sealing (it rained a lot) and visibility in sunlight, however, made it well worth the investment compared to just a phone. I hope this helps anyone who might be on the fence as to whether or not to get a GPS unit versus a phone.

Perhaps creating routes via other apps might be worth exploring. I’ve created routes using Komoot and uploaded them to my Garmin quite easily. You’ll probably be able to do something similar with your Wahoo. My limited experience inclines me to think that some of the ‘suggested’ routes created are not always suitable for your riding style ie touring, road, training. For example a route I created for touring ( in Komoot) whilst in Portugal turned out to be quite nuts and wholly impractical; riding down 15thC cobbled and descending cart tracks besides an impressive castle. On a MTB fun, but on a loaded tourer, no.

Haha.  Ian, I found Komoot to have similar routing algorithms in Japan. It seems as though it draws a lot of its inspiration from Google maps walking directions, which do their utmost to keep you off of “highways”. In Japan, a lot of the””highways” it was avoiding were beautifully, quiet, well surfaced, secondary roads, often following river valleys, almost devoid of traffic. Komoot however, wanted me to leave the valley to climb a 15% grade for 400 m only to turn around and go right back down to the highway. I was very careful to "proofread" my Komoot route, and check to see that it wasn't taking me on unnecessary detours.

Sounds like the Conquest is it.

Bummer about the Stronglight crankset, I thought those were good.  I am surprised how non-concentric it went.  I would definitely contact Stronglight, or the dealer, or both with photos on how bad their product is.  If it was defective, they may offer to make it right.

I did a 43 mile (~60 km) ride yesterday on my light touring bike with the Redshift seatpost.  At the same time I installed it, I installed a Kinekt suspension stem that I had bought used on Ebay.

Very happy with both.  The stem is about 3 years old, there is a bit of play in it, I assume that is wear from the previous owner, but that does not bother me.  Initially one of the pins was not held in tightly and it started to slide out, I had to disassemble part of it to find the loose setscrew.  Used some removable threadlocker on all four set screws that hold the pivot pins in to make sure that does not happen again.  That is one downside of buying used.

Most of my miles were on a rail-trail, former railroad grade converted to a gravel bicycle path, only difference between that and a tow path is the converted railroad grade trails often have a shallow slope.

I found I was less careful about hitting the bumps than I normally would be, which suggests that my bike now will be subjected to more shocks on bumpy trails than before.  And I suspect that when I get on one of my other bikes that there will be a steep learning curve to avoid bumps.

***

I like the Conquest for the springs, but I find that the springs do not really help much on bigger bumps, I think they take the buzz out of rough roads and nothing more.  The suspension seatpost has much more travel, thus the bigger bumps are less noticeable with it.

I have toured with and without fenders (mudguards) and the fenders are definitely the way to go.  Their downside is that I can't fit them into my luggage when I fly somewhere, which is why I have toured without them sometimes. 

One more thing.

Someone on this forum many years ago commented that water had accumulated in a downtube above the S&S coupler and had cause rust and frame damage.

The small screw hole in the downtube for a waterbottle cage under the downtube where spray from the front tire can spray it, make sure that there is a bolt in that hole.  A friend of mine that has volunteered time as a bike mechanic has commented to me that even a bolt won't stop water from getting in, capillary action can.  Thus, grease the bolt.

And, there should be a piece of tape inside the head tube that covers the holes over the downtube and top tube.  You do not want any rain water that gets into the head tube to get into the top tube or downtube, the tape is intended to stop that.

If you did not ride it at all after the sprocket removal, if it was me I would be tempted to add a few ml of oil.  But if you rode it a short distance so that the fresh oil could coat all the internal parts, then I would not worry about the oil loss.

I use big wrenches, not a vice, but if I lacked such wrenches, I would be inclined to use a vice like you did.  (See photo.)

In the future, once you get it loosened to the point that a smaller wrench will work, that might be a good time to change the orientation of the hub so minimal oil is lost.