Good on you, for asking before spending your money. @57, 6'1", and 300lbs, I decided to start biking. Started with a used Cannondale MTB. Two years later, I moved from South Florida to Fairbanks, AK, and "traded-up" to a 1990 Bianchi Volpe. It's steel, designed for the rigors of cyclocross riding, so the frame is sturdy. The wheels are 36-spoke, and I went with 700C x 38 tires (would've liked fatter, but even without fenders, that's the largest she'll take). Cost me a few hundred dollars on eBay, plus another couple of hundred for a Nitto "dirt drop" stem and Nitto "Noodle" handlebars. Steel IS real.