Perhaps a side effect of longer/sunny/warmer -- warmer meaning above freezing
-- I am considering assembling a touring bike around the Surly Bridge Club frameset. Largely paved, certainly some gravel, rarely if ever technical single tracks. Fork packs + lightly loaded rear rack, for months long tours. Bombproof rather than bleeding edge tech.
I am still very satisfied with my LHT, but a Bridge Club would have a couple of advantages: (1) the LHT doesn't support disc brakes; (2) which makes removing the front wheel a little more of an hassle because rim brakes do not provide enough clearance for a 2"+ tire to slide in/out. And the LHT frame could become a hand-me-down. And assembling components on a frame is a nice way to spend an otherwise boring weekend. So....
The frame is designed for flat bars (fine with me) and 1x or 2x (not so fine as I'd like to stick to 3x in order to minimize steps). I read somewhere that 3x is perfectly possible as long as tires are under 2.5" in order to prevent the chain from rubbing on the tire walls.
I'll read comments with interest on the (de)merits of the Bridge Club. I see it as a low-end-yet-competent frame. Very similar to the Trolls that wife and daughter ride. I don't feel like spending a small fortune on titanium, nor testing the durability of carbon.