Frame swap, to kaffenback disc?

[GrumpyGregry]

in the shed is my Edinburgh Bicycle Coop Revolution Country Explorer. It only comes out of the shed a couple of times as year when I need to tour with luggage and fattish tyres, oh yeah, and disc brakes. It's a good bike, basically it's a compact style sloping top tube mtb like frame, and owes me nothing and has given me weeks of fun since I bought it as a commuter tourer via C2W in 2008. Alloy frame, steel fork, ok wheels, upgraded bb7 brakes and is sora equipped.

Planet-X have the Kaffenback Disc out and I'm wondering about swapping all my bits (would need a new front mech due to the different external seat tube diameter but as far as I can see that's it everything else should be a straight swap) onto a steel frame for something a little more trad./retro looking/feeling for £200 notes and some sweat.

So m'learned friends a few questions...

Are Kaffenback f&f's as good as Planet-X make out?
Will it make an ok touring bike once built up?
What's the obvious pitfall I've missed?
What size to go for as I am 6' 2"?
5′10″ to 6′2″ (178cm- 188cm) Large
6′1″ to 6′6″ (185cm- 198cm) X-Large

 

[dan_bo]

I never had a swap-out frame but my kaff (coffee and cream) was ace. If you can think of a road-going old kona that was pretty much it. Twas lovely. Till I spacked it into a tree racing. I'd get another one but I've gone custom.