Originally Posted by cubewheels

You can use any bike that will accept a rear pannier rack for commuting 15 minutes.

Just make sure the bike is NOT attractive to thieves and get the most secure lock for it.

I have a cheap $250 road bike I use for all things - race training, 100 mile rides, commuting, hauling groceries, deliveries

I make it look ugly with paint, fake rust (some of them are real...), and never cleaning, except the drivetrain (barely) as my daily routes takes me to very poor neighborhoods: