I just bought a Denali too about 5 weeks ago. My car broke down and couldn't afford a new one so I decided to commute. I also couldn't afford a "decent" bike so after doing a lot of researching and reading I went with the Denali. I too started commuting on an old MTB I had in the garage and couldn't believe the difference when I hopped on the Denali.

I'm learning how to do my own maintenance - I have to adjust the front derailleur since it won't shift to the top gear - but I think this bike is great. I'm not sure how long it will last - I've heard both good and bad things about it - but I hope it holds out long enough to allow me to save for a better bike.

Anyway - in the 5 weeks I've been commuting I don't have any complaints about the Denali so far. I was even ok with the seat compared to what I had before.

Best of luck.