i commuted in the other day on this exact bike. 9 miles each way with a stop at the jumps on the way home. look at companies like commencal, surly, on one, ragley, etc an all mountain hardtail could be a great first bike and handle the jumps just fine.
@Z94: i am same height and this bike works. i am used to standing to pedal for long distances, which can take getting used to but otherwise bikes like this are rad. this one is semi custom with a longer top tube because i have figured my preferences a bit over the years. but you can pick up used standard djs for like 500 bucks typically.
@adrennan: thats awesome, I grew up commuting on a BMX/Kona Shred, i think thats why i cant hack the high seat extended leg riding position, or full suspension bikes. sounds perfect, do you know anything about Saracens? are they known to be any good?
@Z94: ya its a solid brand with a big presence in mountain biking i am sure it would be great. you dont see them in the states very often. my biggest advice is inspect what you are buying. check for any cracks, dents, shot bearings, etc