Here is my commuter- it is a "Kuwahara Gepard" (Gepard is German for Leopard). It has a double butted aluminium frame and Deore/Alivio components. The brakes are Shimano M515 mechanical disk brakes and I have added a SON (Schmidt) hub dynamo to provide some lighting. 8 speed on the back and 3 speed on the front. This is the bike I ride the most and I think it is great for commuting.