Touring - Expedition Buildout

Opinions Please...
Older NS Trek 930 or a Univega Alpina Uno?
This will be a serious build for a LONG tour.
Wheels,drivetrain etc will be Ultegra or Deore or other quality bits.
Thoughts?

Were I you, I would base my wheels around DT Swiss rims or Mavic and use XT hubs. Use double butted spokes as they will flex slightly and not break as a straight gauge spoke will. I have a CrossCheck built with DT Swiss rims and the XT hub using the double butted spokes and they have never even needed to be trued and I weigh 280lbs plus my gear. I have ridden thousands of miles on this set-up with no problems. They were handbuilt which probably lends to them being a great wheelset. Use XT drivetrain if possible, cranks and all. It will be robust and give you the gearing to climb with a heavy load.

If fit and condition are about equal between frames, it is probably a wash. Which frame fits you best is probably more important than condition. Both are 7 speed, but I believe the 930 has 135mm rear dropouts. At least my 820 from the same era does. This will allow you to go to a 9 speed if you want. Unless you are going to convert to drop bars, I think that Hot Rod Lincoln's recommendation is probably a good way to go. I'd stick with mountain specific components: XT, LX or Deore. LX components are really reliable, and a tad less expensive than XT.

I've often thought about "upgrading" my 1993 820, but I can not force myself to do it. I just took it out of the original box last year and it is really "just like new". I'd probably get hit by lightning or something if I tried!

All else being equal (like fit and condition) I'd vote for the Trek. Andy.

I'd look closely at the geometry of each. Mid-80s Univegas had long chainstays and a very slack head tube angle - possibly a bit too extreme IMHO.

Thanks for the replies! The 930 it will be. Anyone interested in pictures of this build... and some more advice?

Photos are always welcome, post away!

What about 1" quill vs 1 1/8 threadless? Reliability issues? Gee ain't this fun?