I am looking to turn my Giant ATX 860 mountain bike into a more comfortable commuter. Currently the riding position is to aggresive for my needs. I do not trail ride anymore and just need to be able to make the 3 mile run to work and be comfortable.

I have been out of the bike world for so many years I don't really know where to start. The stem, if that is what they are still called, pushess the handle bars out about 6" and requires me to lean forward more than I would like. This seems like where I would like to start the conversion. Maybe a more comfortable saddle.

Also from years of hanging in the garage all of my cable housings have self destructed. Any suggestions on finding replacements. My local bike shop is not to helpful so I look to all of you for good advice. Thanks in advance.

Try another LBS (local bike shop). New cables are basic supplies.

Brooks makes insanely comfortable saddles, they are expensive but last for a lifetime.

A new stem would be a good idea, or if yours is adjustable, raise it so it stands as straight up as you can get it, different handlebars may be something to look at one day too.

Fenders are always nice to have.

Oh, and if you still have the knobby tires on there, ditch them for a more narrow and smooth verity.

For a 3 mile ride you can use most any bike.

Get some cable housings, less than $8 at any LBS, or online.
Slick Tires, also can be had online or at an LBS.
Swap out the stem, if you want to. For the road, though, you might not want to lose what agressive geometry you have.

Past that, get some lights if you are going to ride in dark conditions. You can get racks, fenders, etc. if you want.

As far as repair, I carry a tube, pump, 5 mm allen wrench, and $1. Might be minimal, but i haven't been stranded yet.
Cheap stuff can be had at: https://www.nashbar.com
good luck, happy riding.

[QUOTE=nahh;8203382
As far as repair, I carry a tube, pump, 5 mm allen wrench, and $1. Might be minimal, but i haven't been stranded yet.[/QUOTE]

Ok, I'll bite, whats the dollar for? and no tire levers? I'd include at least one of those, but that's because I've been stranded with a tube and a tire that would just not budge.

Temporary rim liner would be my guess.

Played this game and for exactly the same reason. After 1000 miles of commuting on a Mountain bike converted Hybrid I picked up a drop bar touring bike to replace it for the DD duties.

Here is some of your enemies is the compact cranks where you probably have a 42 big ring and you will run out of gear as you get stronger. You are also a problem because your upright position will make for a lot of extra wind drag. If you are happy at 10-12mph not a big deal but as you get stronger and want to go a little faster it comes more into play.

Some other things that you need to understand is Mountain bikes have long top tubes so it makes you reach as you have found. I ended up putting Trekking bars on mine and the extra hand positions were a big improvement as I started finding I enjoyed 20-30 mile sunday rides. I swapped to a 80mm stem and a stem extension to shorten the reach. Now it is converted back to a Mountain bike/foul weather bike but I still have riser bars and taller stem.

The Touring bike is a big improvment in every way. Touring bikes tend to have the bars near the same height as the seat. They allow for a reasonably upright riding position when in the tops and hoods but when you need to get down out of the wind you have that option. The 700c rims with lighter tires is also a big improvement. I still run a big tire with a 700cx35 but it weights half what the Mountain bike tires weigh.

I would go look for some "city tires". I ran Specialized Crossroad on the back for better off road traction and the 85PSI rating. Happy with the tire. Barely any wear after 1100mile and good this tread for puncture resistance. Front I ran a Specialized Hemisphere. Again happy with it other then it seemed to like picking up pebbles. On the cheap side I have a set of Forte Gotham's on my Touring bike. I am pretty happy with them. They have them in a 26x1.75 and www.Performancebike.com has them online for $11.99. If you have a store nearby they will price match.

Today I just put 25miles on a Criterium bike I picked up for cheap...My back is killing me from the full on race position but it was a fun ride.

I actually just finished a project like this with a mid-90s Giant ATX 860. I've been commuting on an old GT Karakoram for almost 6 months now and I was tired of it. I didn't like the front shocks, the frame was way too small for me, it didn't have braze-ons for a rear rack or fenders, etc. It did have a full set of Deore LX components in really good shape, however. I bought the Giant for $50 on Craigslist, stripped the frame of almost everything (I did leave the crankset and the headset since I don't have the tools to mess with that stuff) and moved all of the nicer components from my GT onto it, re-cabled it with brand new cables and housing, then added some Planet Bike Cascadia fenders, a rack, and some 26x1.5 slick street tires. My Giant came with a 48t front chainring and it does pretty well on the road.

If you have the money you'd probably be better served buying a bike that already does what you want. I was also using the project as an excuse to teach myself bike maintenance and repair, but I am pretty happy with how it turned out. I'll post some pictures later on tonight if I get a chance.