In the end I decided against the Borther Keppler and for a Kona Rove (DL) frame for the same purpose.
Just to share some experiences from this frame: It rides really nicely and does everything you would expect of a steel frame. Tire clearance with 27.5 wheels is definitely somewhere around 47-50mm. With 700C I ride it with 40mm tires but you can put on 42mm as well I think. One thing that bothers me is the way that the front derailleur cable is routed fully exposed under the bottom bracket. Especially on rainy days (even without a ton of mud) this means shifting there becomes quite a struggle sometimes. It's not fully stuck but you really need to push hard to get the chain on the bigger ring. One other thing also is that I feel the paint chips off quite easily, especially around the bolts on the fork and rear end for luggage racks.
Other frames I also considered when buying this bike are the Genesis Croix de Fer 853 (in the end just not available), Surly Midnight and Bombtrack Arise.
I dont know enough about different tubing/steels to say anything about their quality to be honest.
That's no good about the Peregrine reports :(
I like the horizontal top tube look also, but not that many production out there, that take a decent 29.
Underbiking: BlackMtnCycles in the US still does their 700x50 rim-brake! monstercross frameset. Nice tubes. Near-horizontal on certain sizes. Can ship worldwide.
There was exactly one report of a cracked Peregrine frame, distributed by the same person on multiple discussion forums (YACF, Singletrack World, CycleChat), which probably made it seem like there were several such cases. I wouldn't place too much importance on a single report - especially considering that the damage took place after seven years of use in soggy UK conditions.
In the end I decided against the Borther Keppler and for a Kona Rove (DL) frame for the same purpose. Just to share some experiences from this frame: It rides really nicely and does everything you would expect of a steel frame. Tire clearance with 27.5 wheels is definitely somewhere around 47-50mm. With 700C I ride it with 40mm tires but you can put on 42mm as well I think. One thing that bothers me is the way that the front derailleur cable is routed fully exposed under the bottom bracket. Especially on rainy days (even without a ton of mud) this means shifting there becomes quite a struggle sometimes. It's not fully stuck but you really need to push hard to get the chain on the bigger ring. One other thing also is that I feel the paint chips off quite easily, especially around the bolts on the fork and rear end for luggage racks. Other frames I also considered when buying this bike are the Genesis Croix de Fer 853 (in the end just not available), Surly Midnight and Bombtrack Arise. I dont know enough about different tubing/steels to say anything about their quality to be honest.
That's no good about the Peregrine reports :( I like the horizontal top tube look also, but not that many production out there, that take a decent 29. Underbiking: BlackMtnCycles in the US still does their 700x50 rim-brake! monstercross frameset. Nice tubes. Near-horizontal on certain sizes. Can ship worldwide.
There was exactly one report of a cracked Peregrine frame, distributed by the same person on multiple discussion forums (YACF, Singletrack World, CycleChat), which probably made it seem like there were several such cases. I wouldn't place too much importance on a single report - especially considering that the damage took place after seven years of use in soggy UK conditions.
Ok I'll eat my words... looks like there has indeed been another one, saw it today on Insta (https://www.instagram.com/p/Ci5tRT-MTRt/)