When I decided that I was going to start riding again, I bought a Kona Fire Mountain to be a donor bike for an Xtracycle conversion. It didn't take me long to decide to get rid of the knobby tires. I also swapped out the handle bars so I could have more hand positions.

My commute is about 6 miles with a couple of hills.

This is what works for me, might not work for you.

Welcome to the commuting world, ride safe.