For what it's worth, I just bought a vintage Trek 850 mountain bike for $150, About the same price as I paid for my other trek 850. Both with long wheelbases, all the touring braze-ons, double-butted cromoly frames AND forks, and the 26" wheels that Thorn recommends for touring bikes. I'll be converting both to full-on loaded touring bikes. Yes, they will be upgraded, so that $150 isn't the final price, but in the end, they will be a better touring bike than the $800 Alyeska could ever hope to be...and for a lot less money than a Thorn.