I think it depends upon how important trail riding is to you, relative to commuting. Almost anything will work for light offroad riding -- even a road bike. I ride a Kettler Silverstar commuter/touring bike, and it would certainly work well for off road, as long as there were no sticks to get tangled in the fenders. It uses hybrid-size tires, and I have a set of Nokian studded snow tires that work fine in the winter.

Paul