I know I know. It's been over a year and I still regret passing on it. LOL

No it shouldn't. Just make sure the clamp diameter matches the handlebar's diameter.
I suggest you use barend shifters instead, though.
Nothing wrong with downtube shifters.

So I popped into the local co op and picked up a 1997 Trek 700 Multitrack for $65. I might have overpaid a tad, the cassette was letting the sprockets move in both directions. We took it apart, oiled it up and got it working again. Looks like the wheels are not original but everything else seems to be. It has grip shifters, which I don't mind, but the shifting mechanism seems to get confused between gears in places, probably needs tuning. The running gear is Shimano Altus. Weighs in at 30 pounds. In keeping under my $200 budget, I might look at upgrading the rear cassette and derailleur, but I think I can outfit it with a rear rack and maybe fenders.

I'll bet you won't think you overpaid when you are finished with it. I've recently picked up a Trek 820 Multitrack (CroMo main triangle and fork), and took the crappy grip shifters off and replaced with some cheapy Shimano stemshifters that I had laying around. I stripped it down, scrubbed it clean, and packed every nook and cranny with grease. Also, I replaced the cracked plastic Altus-level cantilever brakes with some Tektro Oryx cantis. I put a rack on the back, and some fat Michelin slicks. It is now the most "plush" smooth riding bike I own. Dead quiet whether I'm pedaling or coasting. Stable with loads on it... I had a case of beer on the rack ( ) and my clydesdale self on it, plus a full saddle wedge and handlebar bag, and couldn't even tell the weight was on there. I think those sweet old 700 and 800 series Multitracks are going to be my new general suggestion when somebody is looking for a commuter/ work bike.





Edited to add: Ahaha, I see that I mentioned this bike in this very thread. I don't mean to go on and on about it, I'm just very happy with it!

Upgrading anything that works is a slippery slope and can quickly blow your budget. There's a pretty big dividing line between 7 speeds and 8+ speeds due to difference in the rear hubs. Jumping to 8-speed gets you into the world of higher end parts but can quickly burn a hole in your wallet as a lot of things need to change together. The shifting problem you describe could be as simple as dialing in the cable tension. If that doesn't work, the rear cogs might just be too worn. If it does OK at one extreme or the other but gets progressively worse as you move to the other extreme, it's probably cable tension. It could require new cables, which will usually do more to improve your shifting than a derailleur upgrade. Grit in the cable housing really mucks with indexed shifting. If it shifts OK at the top and bottom ends of the range but has trouble in the middle, it's almost certainly the cogs. Happily, 7-speed freewheels are pretty cheap. If that's the problem, replace the chain too. There is a slight chance that something has gone wonky in the shifter, but usually if it works at all it's not the source of the trouble.

Congrats on the new bike.

I think any steel road frame that fits you can be made into a commuter. The bars and seat will matter almost as much as the frame as far as making it into a commuter. You should be able to get a good steel frame for $50 or $75 on C list. I'd start there. 700c will be fine, but 27" wouldn't be bad either. Bigger tires will help with keeping away bumps and a steel frame will also flex a lot more than a rigid aluminium frame would.

Dear diary,

Today I saw a Brooks saddle on a Huffy.

That pretty much sums it up, it does shift ok in 1st and 2nd, but can't find 3rd, or finds it, then skips to 4th. It also does it when on the middle crank up front. Funny thing is, the wheels and tires look brand new, but the freehub and cassette looked well past their prime. It's also not a shimano freehub, so it looks like someone took something out of the old parts bin and slapped it on there. I definitely think I'll go ahead and replace the freehub and cassette with a 7 speed. I was thinking of an SRAM 12 - 32: https://www.amazon.com/SRAM-PG730-Spe...s=sram+7+speed

I took her out for a 10 miler today and she did pretty good, aside from the mis-shifting already mentioned. It has the original 'sprung' saddle, which seems a little bouncy, but does help smooth out the wretched pavement in my area.
I haven't ridden a bike of any sort for 20 years. Just last month I got my old 12 speed road bike back in service and logged a few miles with it. I love the way it handles and the rider position of a road bike, but the issues I had were constantly getting in and out of the courier pedal straps, and not having the brakes handy if I'm riding on the hoods, etc. Inner city riding requires so many quick reactions, it just didn't seem feasible.
Now on to the new bike. I definitely like the increased maneuverability, having the brakes and shifters right there, no pedal clips or straps, gearing low enough to climb a wall, and the more upright position for visibility, etc. The bumps are smoothed out with the larger tires (700c x 32) and the 'sprung' seat, however I do encounter quite a few jarring potholes, etc.
I'm still trying to learn the optimum positioning, I tend to want my handle bars to be lower when grinding out a long uphill, but they are as low as they go now (and the seat is as high as will work for me). The current bars are curved, so I could lower the handles maybe an inch or two with a straight handlebar, otherwise I need to look at a different stem. With the more upright position, I find it harder to keep my back arched than in a road bike.
I miss the different hand positions available with drop bars. Would those brahma type handles help out with that?

Well, it's been a little over a year now, and due to your good advice, I have commuted 1200 miles since this thread was started. I took the advice on the 90's mountain bike and started with a 17" HardRock ($85 on CL). I bought new wheels (to convert to 9 speed), Deore 9spd shifters, M591 derailleurs, and put about 300 miles on it. I was feeling a little stretched out, so I found a 16" HardRock ($45 on CL) which was even older, I had to cold set the rear drops to get the 9 spd wheel in. I moved all the parts over to it, rode about 800 miles, then upgraded to a Sugino xd600 165mm crankset for another hundred miles or so. During this time, I was starting to realize that I wanted drop bars. So the game plan was, find another 16" HardRock and build it out with dropbars, then turn the current bike into more of a beater. Last week, I found a very good condition HR, all original with nice colors (see photo). I spent the past three days shopping like a kid at Christmas and here is what I have on order:

Cane Creek SCR-5C Compact Road Brake Levers
Nitto Randonneur 42cm 25.4mm Silver bar
Kalloy 26.2 x 350mm Silver Seatpost
Grand Cru Zeste Cantilever Brakes
NITTO Periscopa FU-82 - Long Quill
Transit 50 Wedge Bag
Velo Orange Touring Pedals
Soma Urban Cross Levers
Velo Orange Touring Saddle B17
Shimano SL-BS77 9-Speed Double/Triple Bar End Shift Levers
Shimano HG61 9-Speed 11-32t Cassette
Bike Ribbon Cork Natural
Sugino XD600 165mm 26-36-46 74/110 7/8 Speed Crankset
Shimano UN55 68x113mm Square Taper BB

I was contemplating the Velo Orange honey leather bar tape to match the saddle, but thought I would start with cork first. I'm also putting cross levers on it for braking from the flats.
Also, the bike I just got was a 7 speed, so I won't need a new rear wheel and it has nice Weinmann rims.
In all, I'm currently at $850 for the bike, counting the $125 purchase price.
I had been thinking about building up a Soma Saga frame, and still may, but I already know the geometry of this bike, plus the parts can transfer later if need be. And with identical drivetrains, I'll be able to swap out the wheels between the two HardRocks (I'll have fat street tires on one and smaller commuter tires on the other).
At any rate, thanks for all the great advice, it's been a great year commuting and I'll be posting more photos of the build in the coming weeks.

The only thing I would have done differently are the canti brakes - I much prefer v-brakes, or even mini-v.

I like the function of v brakes, but not the looks. The bike already has the headset cable hanger, and honestly, I fell in love with those grand Cru brakes, they even have toenail adjustment. I hope they prove to be worth the $135

Sounds like a fun project. I ended up getting a used Long Haul Trucker frame and moving over the best components from the RockHopper build I showed in post 19 above, so a lot like what you suggest you might do with the Saga (except the components I started out with weren't as nice as what you're getting. Earlier tonight I finished rebuilding the RockHopper as a beater MTB with 9-speed components. I used the original wheels but replaced the old 7-speed freehub (not freewheel) with a freehub from a Tiagra hub I wasn't using.

Tinkering has been half the fun with this bike. I think I've ridden it about 800 miles and rebuilt it five times in different ways.

That was my first thought as well.
Love the 'flage, wish I had thought of it.

Also loving the custom "head badge". Is it a one off, or are they readily available?
If it is a one-off, could you point me in the direction of acquiring my own one-off.

Gladly! Jen Green in Philadelphia...she does amazing work! They are custom made one offs.

https://www.headbadges.com/

I got one for my wife too:



Mounted on the "Huffy":



This is a stem plug she made for me: