So I’ve been tooling around for a couple years on this bike now and thought I’d update this thread with its evolution.

To begin, I bought a very nice donor bike that was kitted out with 8 speed Deore LX components. So the wheels found their way onto this bike. Mavic M227S rims on LX M563 hubs.



Then, I changed the handlebar to a swept back townie style bar so the Soma Clarence could go back on my tandem where it belongs.



Found a matching M737 rear derailleur somewhere. This is my favorite version of XT.
I’ve got a set of XT M737 shifter/brake levers and V brakes I could transplant on; I’d have to add a rear cable housing stop (which I have on hand) but I haven’t done it yet because I’m lazy, mostly.



I decided a really short stem would act as a headset spacer and a stub of handlebar would be a great place to mount a cyclometer and possibly a headlight out of the way.




I never did put a rack and basket on the front since I decided the rack on the back was quite useful considering I already had a few pairs of panniers. So why spend the money?

When I got the aforementioned donor bike, it came with a matching spare front wheel. A few months ago I was able to source a couple more cheap Panasonic/Sanyo generator hubs without really having a plan for them. Maybe now I’ll get around to lacing up a generator hub into the spare front wheel….

And that’s how it sits today. It has been a fantastic do it all type bike. I can commute to work in the same time as on my dedicated commuter, it can comfortably carry luggage front and rear should I decide to, and it can handle any dirt road and rough stuff I decide to subject it to.

These old Singletracks are awesome!