DougieB wrote:I'm about 5' 11", and use a 58 cm LHT. 54 cm sounds a tad too wee, but overall height is not really the deciding factor. Surly's are a bit of a nightmare to size properly, as they are really difficult to try out. where are you, someone nearby may have a LHT you could try out. also have a search on the Surly website (I think the area is called spew), as they have a good explanation of how to get the right sized Surly.
the other thing I'd raise, if you're new-ish to cycling, is do you know how much a home-build costs ? it's certainly a great thing to do, you learn a lot about bikes. but the costs rack up fairly quickly, unless you make some well informed component choices (which you can get lots of help with on here).
the LHT really is a great tourer. I think you'd be better off (financially) buying a new complete bike, or a complete second hand if you can find one. Unless, of course, you want to change the gearing/shifters/wheels.
you also mention expeditions rather than touring. if you are thinking of off-roading then you might want to look at an alternative to the LHT, as the low BB can be a pain. I've only ever really got annoyed by this on rocky off-road trails though.
I'd only buy that ebay frame if I knew the size was right.
cheers
I'm 5'10" and have the 52cm size with 26" wheel one, its super comfy. a bigger frame gets you a more stretched out position v smaller frame more upright ride