N+1 iteration of this build. Before or after?

I recently went back to a neo-retro build of my beloved Trek 990 from 1996, moving away from the gravel setup I had before. I’m curious what you all think of this iteration.

This version keeps things simple and raw – Trek Mogul fork, classic lines, and a bit of a throwback vibe. Still dialled in for trail fun and local exploring, but with a very different character than the previous build.

Swipe to see both setups. Which one do you prefer – the old gravel mode or this retro rebuild?