I commute three miles to work on a 1989 Peugeot P8 five-speed I bought used last year for $15 from Goodwill. It's HLE mangalloy, so it's not as heavy as my 1972 Schwinn Suburban, which I formerly used for commuting, but it is a little small for me. My experience is that if the bike is even a little too small, just three miles of pedalling will start hurting. Also, the Schwinn has a basket on the handlebars only, so I carried my backpack on my back -- not the best method. Throws you off-balance. My Peugeot has a rear rack with a twin-bungee-cord strap and hook to secure my backpack to the rack. Much better for balance. I think most commuters on this forum use panniers or racks to carry everything.