I started commuting on my old 90's Trek 820... it was perfect. I switched to a Giant 29er which is a heck of a fun ride through town, and am working on building up a Trek 800 from the 80's for a winter commuter. So far it is a frame hanging in the bike shed (aka potting shed ) waiting for the tri-coat auto paint to cure, but it's got studded tires waiting for the IGH wheel to be built at my LBS. I am still thinking about a dynamo hub for the front. If you'd like a steal/steel , old hardtail Treks are pretty common for the commuters. I got mine for $40...