Commuting - It's Late but I need Advice

I'm not sure if this is the right forum to post my question on but it seems like it's the best fit, if not let me know and I will re-post.

I have a mid-90's Giant Cadex CFR-3 road bike that I want to use as a commuter/trail bike. The main triangle is cf, the fork, seat and chain stays are alumunim. It has Shimanon 600 (ultegra) components, including hubs, STI shifters/brakes, double chainring (53/42), wobler rims, 700x23 tires, Sakae Modolo Anatomic handlebar/Nitto stem.

I rode this bike exclusively up until 2 years ago when I bought a Scott CR1 Pro. Ever since then I've used the Giant on my trainer. I cleaned it up today and it is in surprisingly great shape. My husband and I are going to ride on Katy trail next month and I'm wanting to use this bike. I also want to be able to use it as my commuter too.

I need advice on:

1) The biggest issue is probably tires. I think the biggest tire I will be able to fit is a 700x28. Any recommendations? Although I need something that will work for the crushed limestone katy trail I need it to be good enough for the road for commuting.

2) It's pretty heavy (I was surprised by the weight, guess I've gotten spoiled with my scott) and if there is anything I could do that wasn't too costly I'd like to. The weight won't be an issue on trails but it will be with commuting.

3) Is it possible to change the handlebar to a mustache or bull horn with the STI shifters/brakes?

4) I'll need a saddle and will get a new seat post, switch out the clipless pedals for something with toe clips. Any suggestions?

I think that's it... I would appreciate your advice and ideas. Over the last few weeks or so I have spent literally hours reading the forums (just ask my husband) and other sites related to biking and have learned a lot, but not nearly enough!

I hope I didn't leave anything out or repeat myself. It's late and this is my second attempt at this post. I had written my post, was going to erase something, hit the backspace button, but ended up going to the previous page losing everything.

I said it much better the first time but hopefully well enough here to make sense. Thanks for your help.

That trail looks like it should be a fun trip.
Here are my thoughts, FWIW.

Are you planning to commute year-round? in what types of weather? Your road bike may not be able to fit (or mount) fenders, which are invaluable in rain. Commuting bikes often take a beating - are you willing to risk it getting scratched, accumulate a lot of drivetrain wear, and generally take some abuse?

1. tires:
Check the brake clearance and ask your LBS if you're not sure something will fit. The fit of an individual tire can vary quite a bit from the marked standard size. If you plan on commuting in snow (if that were my bike, I'd baby it too much to even think about snow/salt), you want plenty of room to avoid snow buildup and super-frozen brakes. You might want to try a tire like the Schwalbe Marathon Plus, which is available in 25 and 28c. Touring and cyclocross tires will both offer more tread than standard road tires, but 'cross tires may be overkill for your commute.

2. weight:
Will you be carrying any clothing, documents, commuters, or other supplies with you while commuting? The weight of all those things (and carrying devices like a rack and panniers) adds up fast. You could get different wheels, but for commuting I for one care more about durability than weight, and actually prefer to ride my heavier bike for most purposes. Think of how light and fast the Scott will feel after riding your other bike consistently.

3. handlebars:
STI would be awkward on mustache bar - lay your bike on its side, place your hand in the curve of the drops, and try shifting. You'd need to find a way to reach in and move the little levers up and down under the brake levers - and they wouldn't be at your fingertips all the time. Anything I envision for hoods + horns would look crazy and feel wrong. There's a reason those designs are used on singlespeeds a lot more often than geared bikes. Are you interested in them for comfort or design reasons? Drops offer a wider variety of hand positions than bullhorns, and mustache definitely fall in the try-before-you-buy category. If you're worried about control issues on the trail, remember that 'cross bikes have drops.

4. others:
Saddle comes down to personal preference. Does the seat post need replacing? Saddles and mounting brackets are pretty much universal.
If you're accustomed to clipless pedals, why not just go with what works rather than using toe clips? If the seatpost is in good shape, I'd spend my money on a pair of shoes with walkable soles instead.

All in all, your bike would take some accessorizing to be a 4-season day-in, day-out commuter - at least here where we get snow and ice. If you're planning to commute occasionally there's nothing wrong with it, but it's also perfectly usable as is (assuming good mechanical condition as you describe). If you get more serious about commuting or your preferences change, then it's time to make room for another bike in the stable!

happy riding.

If it'll take 25's that would be fine for road commuting. Been commuting on 25's for years without any regrets at all.

Trail is another issue. For a shorter ride if you can manage 28's and not bind on the brake calipers then that would be a minimum size I'd suggest for dealing with any loose areas and even then I'm not sure that it will be as much fun as it could be. But with all the variety of packed vs loose and various stone sizes I think you'll find that even 28's are not as much fun as the bike could be.

Thanks so much for your response. You brought up a lot of issues I hadn't thought through and helped me to narrow down what it is I want/need. I'll use the bike a lot more as a commuter than I will on trails, weather isn't an issue here, at least not snow so I don't have to contend with that. If I had more money to get a 'cross bike, I would turn my Giant into a ss (which I also would like to have), but I don't so I'll be okay with using the Giant on trails/road and know it will take a beating.

I talked with the lbs today and will be taking my bike in next week to check on tire clearance so I can see how large a tire it can take and see what other changes I'll make. I'm excited. I also looked at some clipless pedal systems, do you know anything about the Quattro pedal by Crank brothers? They are on sale at Performance.

Any clipless system works fine for commuting. I like mine for the repeatability of foot positioning. Once you get used to clicking into the trap you'll find that your foot is far more comfy right away. No lost time and confusion moving your foot back into the sweet spot like with regular platform pedals.

I went SPD because over all they have pleanty of float for my feet and legs and they come up cheaper than the other options more often. Also when I got into it the other designs were not as common and were not available around here as much. And there's absolutely nothing at all wrong with the SPD system if you don't require the extra float or other features of the other systems.

What type of spd pedal do you use, or all they all roughly the same? I've only used Look pedals (9 degree of float) and am not familiar with the other types. I have a problem with my right knee and need some float.

I noticed you live in BC, I'm envious. My husband and I got married in Sooke Harbor on VI and just fell in love with the area.