Rack!

So recently I've been spending some time on the ole Rockhopper.
It's been the go to bicycle for just getting out and about, when I'm not counting miles going and Super Sonic.
Reminiscent of when I first started riding regularly, it let's me roll not only on the road, but off of curbs, on the grass, and basically wherever I steer it.
Sort of non thinking, unplanned bicycling.
I was missing a few items though, and I took care of them today:

Anonymous donor don't you know.
Well, I had to pay for the cages, but the rack was handed down to me free of charge.
It's one of them universal racks so I had to make some modifications like spacers on the rear clamps:

Also, the bolts weren't long enough, well they were long enough, just not long enough to make it all the way through the lock nuts.
I'll have to go the the Man Store and find some longer ones:

I also wanted to fiddle with my riding position as this is just a putt around bicycle and the bars sit sort of low.
I dug around in the box o'crap to see what I could find.
There was a riser bar I picked up somewhere along the road, I think it came off my old 29er and I also found this:

I don't remember why or what I have that for, I think it was a mistaken eVilness purchase from back when I had the Lanikai Express.
Anyways, it won't help me much with rise, and I'll have to do something about the front brake cable routing:

I like that down through the stem thing, it doesn't flex as much as them brackets that screw onto the head set.
So I'd have to drill the new stem if I'm going to use it, which I might have to for I'm not sure I can get the riser through the mount of the old stem.
Them clamps on the steel stems don't open up enough to allow any bends to go through it.  I may just try to spread it somehow and squeeze the riser bar through.
Or I may just leave it alone and ride it as is.
I'm still looking at it.
I'm also still looking at the drive train, wondering whether or not I should upgrade the whole thing.
If I want to change from canti brakes to v brakes, I think I need to change out the levers and right now I'm running them integrated shifter lever thingys.
If I change that out, I might as well add few more gears.
If you know what I mean.
Then again, it's sort of nice to keep it a period piece with parts from around that era.
Maybe if I can find some NOS stuff I'll start changing things out.
For  now though, equipped with rackness, I'll goof around Flat Tire Land, on and off the road.