Hi everybody--

I'm currently weighing the prospect of getting a 29er hardtail mountain bike and converting it to a commuter. At 6'1 and 320 lbs, I'm a big guy on a budget and I figured that getting a "stock" MTB frame/wheels would be a cost effective way to get bulletproof components at a cheap price. I've got a thread going in the Clydesdales forum but I had a couple of questions which would be better served by you guys.

REI's running an awesome deal right now where you take 20% off the top of their Novara house-brand bicycles, and then 10% of the remainder comes back to you in a dividend credit next year. Their Novara Ponderosa is an incredible value at that price, and the sales guy indicated he'd be willing to do a little upgrading to set me up for free.

So I'm trying to figure out what to do to convert this to an efficient reliable commuter. I want to mount a rack and fenders, and probably a front and rear light, and switch out the knobbies for some street-friendly rubber. The front fork has a speed lockout, which I'd use on the road.

How do I go about doing this? What should I be looking for?