Originally Posted by
Polaris OBark
I had a 1990 520. It was arguably the best touring bike I have owned (of 3).
My current one has hydraulic disc brakes, which weren't an option then. But that is its only significant advantage (and I spent far more money building it up).
Trek finally discontinued the 520. Before that, they had a steel frame with an aluminum fork. That struck me as something to avoid (and was the other main reason I bought a Soma frame and built it up).
Their use of an aluminum fork was interesting. I speculate that they were looking at the European market, where it would appear that aluminum frames and forks don't scare off touring riders. One of their competitors in Europe, Koga-Miyata, has at least six different touring bike models, all of which have aluminum frames and forks. They haven't offered a touring bike with a steel fork in years.