when you read the wheel building threads a common discussion/argument is what to put on the spokes when you build your wheels.  I built my LB 35mm 650b wheels myself and not being a pro it was a learning experience.   Some guys recommend spoke prep, loctite, grease, boiled linseed oil, anti seize or nothing.  Recommended spoke tension is more of a range than a given.   I built mine with DT Swiss revolutions which are so thin in the middle that windup is a bit of a concern and I used aluminum nipples front and brass rear.  I opted to grease my spoke ends since if I needed to retension later on it would be easier with the revolutions and aluminum nipples.  Then I tensioned to about 90-100 kgf on the drive side and front disc side,  which is probably not enough.  This equated to around 17/18 on my Park meter.   I found that after a couple rides I had to retension a quarter turn and I may have to do that again.  So maybe the combo of grease and lower tension is an issue but I just keep an eye on them.   With a thicker spoke, brass mipples and spoke prep then maybe the wheel will stay tensioned forever.   

In a perfect world and in the hands of very experienced builder you may get wheels that never need a true.   I don't mind throwing them up on the stand and giving them a quick true.   Routinely I will quickly pluck the spokes and listen to the pitch, like plucking a guitar string.  A spoke that has lost some tension will have a lower note.  Spokes on the drive side will of course have a higher pitch.  A local bike builder says he always builds his wheels to spoke pitch.  There is even an app for your phone that will tell you the tension by the pitch.  https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/spoke-tension-gauge/id518870820?mt=8    I don't have that good an ear so I will stick to my tension meter.

I replaced some spokes and a hub for a friend of mine.  The wheel had been built by a local lbs.   Before I took it apart I measured the tension.  29 on my Park meter.   1/3 of the nipples and been rounded and distorted trying to get it that tight.   I think that was maybe over the top.   

With all the options on gearing now its hard to choose which one is right for you.  The pendulum has swung toward 1x setups which are great but are not perfect in all situations.   It depends on the trails, your fitness and what you like your cadence to be.   I have XX1 with 28 on my enduro/AM bike,  2x10  24/38 on my 29er race bike, and converted 3x9 22/32/bash on an older Nomad.   I toyed with the idea of going 1x10 with a 42 ring on my race bike but realized that for the trails that I ride I needed a very low end climbing gear and to get that I have to give up the top end.  Sometimes the races or rides in our area include some fire road sections where the 11 would be spun out if using a 30 or 28 front.  So thats why I went to 2x10 for my race setup...more range.   If top end is of no concern then 1x setup is great and I would go with the lowest gear I could put on.  Sooner or later you will use it.

So my experience is that the 1x setups have to be chosen with a little more thought to find the sweet spot between low end and high end gears and only you can determine that.  Go and borrow or demo a bike and take it on the steepest hills you think you will ride and figure out what you need. 

1x11 is more forgiving in range and is pretty slick but also at what cost.  If we complain about the price of XX1 chainrings wait till you have to replace the cassette and derailleur.   I crushed my rear derailleur and it was a sobering reminder.