Originally Posted by
USAZorro
I concur. A Trek 850 or Trek 950 would be an excellent frame for this.
+ another
Here's a Trek 720 Multitrack (around 1993, I believe) that I converted to single speed. Picked up the frame for $35; 27" wheels I had around; Ultegra cranks and BB; bars/stem from a Bridgestone hybrid. Not ultimate, perhaps, but really a good rider and nice all-purpose errand bike. Loads of braze-ons for fenders, rack and all that.
Maybe you aren't planning on a single speed, but the point is you can do a lot with these frames.