GaIslander

Converting the mountain bike won't work all that well, however it will work. I converted an old Cannondale 3.0 series Mtn bike to a hybrid. I put a solid fork, smooth tires ( I also think the idea of shaving off the tire knobs is not really practical), fenders, and rack on the 'dale. It worked, but the frame geometry of the mtn bike is very different than a hybrid, very prone as they are set up for racing. I fooled around trying to raise the bars, but other than reversing the stem was not successful at it. Later I went to the Trek FX series with an '05 7500 and now a '13 7.6. There is a world of difference in the the bikes. The conversion will get you started and maybe work for a while, but your wife will enjoy riding more, and therefore ride more often on the better bike.