I bottled out of the 31yr old Apex in the end, I'm afraid, and bought a 10yr old barely used flat bar Dawes db chromo Galaxy. Heavy as hell but fully loaded with guards, rack and panniers and a great fit for my wife. Spent a fair bit more but none of the componentry - nor the wheels - needs replacing. An unadventurous purchase tbh but given that we're touring in June, I wanted a bit more peace of mind.
