As others have noted above, you can turn anything into a decent commute bike really.
For what it's worth I've moved to hydraulic discs on all my bikes over time and wouldn't swap back now, but they are by no means essential for commuting. V low maintenance in my experience (compared to the one bike I had with cable discs that were a real pain to keep aligned).
Currently use a gravel bike and swap out wheel sets as needed for road / more serious off-road (I do have v secure storage both ends of my commute though). Would highly recommend Schwalbe G-One All Round tyres for commuting, 35mm. Roll really well on road and can handle a surprising amount off-road should you choose.
For what it's worth I've moved to hydraulic discs on all my bikes over time and wouldn't swap back now, but they are by no means essential for commuting. V low maintenance in my experience (compared to the one bike I had with cable discs that were a real pain to keep aligned).
Currently use a gravel bike and swap out wheel sets as needed for road / more serious off-road (I do have v secure storage both ends of my commute though). Would highly recommend Schwalbe G-One All Round tyres for commuting, 35mm. Roll really well on road and can handle a surprising amount off-road should you choose.
