I use one of these; my Dad uses a workstand. Both work well.

The one above with the Rock Guardz sticker on the base looks good too.

You said B had a sister who is local; I would make contact with her (if possible) and say that you’re concerned for B’s health based on what you’ve heard from A. I expect that having a family member checking up on B would be the easiest way to relieve the pressure/stress on A.

If A feels obliged to give B a lift to the house she’s doing up, could she offer to give B a lift every fortnight/month due to “other regular plans” (family engagements etc). Again this would reduce the stress on A whilst not isolating B.

If B is due out of hospital in the next few days would it be possible for A to stay with you for a few days, if you’re off work? It would help A relax a little more and give her time to think.

The last thing you want to do is completely isolate B, both for her health and A’s; if A thinks a downturn in B’s health is due to her ‘shunning’ B she’ll feel dreadful. If the care/comforting of B is spread across more people then B will feel more valued and see more options to discuss her loneliness than just with A.

Apologies for the essay.

I can vouch for the Roadlink working with 105 – I run a medium cage mech with an 11-40t cassette and it shifts fine, no worse than the 10 speed XT stuff on my hardtail.

If you’re running multiple chainrings I would definitely get the Ultegra clutch mech as you’ll have loads of chain slack (even when sized correctly). If you’re running 1x then definitely look at the Ultegra clutch mech and/or a Narrow-wide chainring. I run 1x and would drop my chain over bigger bumps (on the road) before getting a narrow-wide ‘ring.

I’ve seen Halestorm a few times and they put on an awesome show – some of the best gigs I’ve been too, especially when supporting Shinedown. If your taste stretches up to the heavier end of the spectrum then they’re being supported by In This Moment and New Year’s Day next November.

Have a listen to Adelitas Way and Shamans Harvest too – they’re not female fronted but worth a listen if you’re into rock/hard rock. Put Delain in your playlist if you appreciate vocals more than the music.

Edit: Cold Kingdom too!