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Join Date: Aug 2010
Location: Madison, WI
Posts: 11,211
Bikes: 1961 Ideor, 1966 Perfekt 3 Speed AB Hub, 1994 Bridgestone MB-6, 2006 Airnimal Joey, 2009 Thorn Sherpa, 2013 Thorn Nomad MkII, 2015 VO Pass Hunter, 2017 Lynskey Backroad, 2017 Raleigh Gran Prix, 1980s Bianchi Mixte on a trainer. Others are now gone.
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You might have to watch the used markets.
I suspect that you can still buy rim brake touring bike frames from Europe, but the shipping cost would likely outweigh any savings. I have two Thorns that are rim brake, mine are 26 inch wheel. Shipping cost on one of my frames in 2013 was over $100 at that time, likely much more now, I also had to pay customs duty on that frame too. And if you got the wrong size shipped across the atlantic, that would be an expensive mistake.
Maybe check Co-Motion, but that likely is not cheap either.