Originally Posted by
Tourist in MSN
A friend of mine bought a 520 at about the same time as your bike was built, plus or minus a couple years. He lived in a small town, the only local bike shop was a Trek dealer, so he of course bought a Trek. He had ridden an aluminum frame bike before the 520, did not like it and bought the 520 because it was the only steel frame bike that Trek still made. And he said that he really liked the feel of the steel frame and how it could absorb road bumps better than aluminum. He did not tour, but rode a lot of distance.
It's worth noting that the Trek 750 Multitrack, which was sold as a hybrid, with flat bars, used the same frame as the 520. They only made the 750 through 1997 but the 520 lived on. My 750 is a 1991 and even has front fork rack mounts, which some people might think is odd for a hybrid. Now you know why - it's just a 520 in disguise. My 750 now has drop bars so it's exactly the same as a 520. I'd still buy a 520 if one showed up near me in my size though.