Salsa Ala Carte to Gravel Bike?

[fourflys]

So I've always had a soft spot for Salsa bikes and particularly the Ala Carte..

anyway, I got in my head that it might be a good idea to convert an Ala Carte to a gravel bike.. anyone ever done something similar? Since the Ala Carte is 26", am I stuck with 27.5 or can you squeeze a 700x40ish wheel/tire combo in there? Any other "gotchas"?

At this point, I'm just pondering the possibility and feasibility..

Thanks!