I'm in the market for a new commuter, looking for a solid 90's rigid frame mountain bike to convert into a road-worthy commuter bike. Think Specialized Hardrock with fat roadie tires, rear rack with panniers, and drop bars. I need something sturdy that can take rough roads yet still carry a quick cruising speed when I manage to find some smooth asphalt, and will also be comfortable for a 30 mile weekend ride. For me, that means swapping from flat bars to drops, which poses a dilemma. Most MTB's from this era seem to have the twist-grip shifters, which obviously won't work with drop bars.

The stem is another issue, but its secondary. I'd be fine using the drops on a stock gooseneck style stem as long as the fit was right. I'd like to go with some "anatomic" drops like these (not exactly, just for shape reference):

On a bike like this:


I'm interested in seeing what some of you have come up for drop bar/shifter/stem solutions. I could always just resort to buying a new bike with the setup I want, but I take great satisfaction in building things myself, and I feel like I can have as much bike (if not more) for much less money. Not to mention, it's keeping another old bike on the road.