Originally Posted by
SDHawk
Here's the Nishiki I was considering, just FYI. That thing is UGLY lol
That Nishiki looks beautiful, and with solid components. The 730 is also a good choice for your use-case. Those 730/750/790 early-90s steel hybrids are great frames and the earliest 750/790 frames were still lugged chromoly made in USA. For years I commuted on a '92 790 setup as a drop-bar gravel tourer. Very similar proportions to the era 520 tourer, with greater BB clearance for light off-road trails. The long chain-stays allowed good pannier clearance, and the long wheelbase frame ate potholes for breakfast.