Wife looking to get new bike LHT/Disc or 520

[DwarvenChef]

My wife is looking at a new bike and has narrowed it down to ether a Trek 520 or a Surly LHT. Disc brakes seem high on her list as she really likes my Disc Trucker.

I really like my Surly and would buy it again if I had to so I'm not to worried about the OoB build from Surly but I have no clue about the Modern Trek 520. Does the modern Trek stand up to the vintage 520's reputation?

She will be getting one or the other new in box and built at the local shop. Anything critically wrong with current out of box builds?

[Pat Lamb]

Either is likely to have machine built wheels.  Those are famous for not being correctly tensioned and stress-relieved.  Get a knowledgeable wheelbuilder to check the wheels, or look up some of the resources (The Bicycle Wheel), buy some tools (spoke wrench and tensiometer), and DIY.  The second option will also give you some confidence if you need to fix a wheel out on the road.