Light-Duty mountain bike good for commuting?
 

Hello all,
I commute a few miles to and from school each day. My commute is mostly through rolling suburban streets, but also includes a few passages through wooded areas with bumps and dips. The commute is very tough on the old road bike that I usually ride.

I am looking for an lightweight, light-duty (preferably aluminum) mountain bike that is good for commuting on paved streets but can also handle some rougher terrain. I'd like something with a small amount of front suspension travel so that I can hop around a bit on the wooded paths without breaking anything.

The bike doesn't have to be anything fancy, expensive, or new. Can anyone suggest a bike that might work for me? Thanks!

You ask for front suspension, but consider a fisher mako. we sells tons of them to the college students here. they retail for about 260, are aluminum with a cromo fork. they also have a mega-range gear if you have hills to deal with. fork and frame are covered by Trek lifetime warrenty