I had a 90s Fuji Discovery which was a hardtail/fork, 3x7 gearing that I rode for about 5 years. Very similar bike. W/t aforementioned 1.75x26 flat resistant street tires it will make an excellent commuter. Just lock out the front shock/suspension system as it'll slow you down on asphalt. 1.50x26 will allow for less rolling resistance, but may be a little more prone to flats. Depends on what you get. Specialized Armadillos? Great. Kenda Kwest? Not so much. My rig had a Delta Universal Mega-Rack and Jandd Saddlebags. The combo worked really well. Carried all the necessary tubes, toolage, etc. in a Jandd medium-sized under saddle bag. My rt was 20 miles, so very similar. Snap it up!