Originally Posted by Kdrake

Thanks Guys, for all the help and thoughts. I have been to the local bike shop, and back at Walmart; i have come to the conclusion that a 'road bike' with drop handlebars does not meet my needs. It is very uncomfortable for me; probably just not used to being hunched over in a 'road bike' position. Plus i would like the possibility of trails every once in a while.

I am now looking at more of mountain bikes/ hybrid bikes/ comfort bikes etc. My favorite thus far is probably a 29er Schwinn ascension from Target. It has Shimano Tourney derailer, sr santour front fork, disk brakes, etc. I have also looked at a Trek Shift from my local bike store. The ascension is $300 the Shift would be $500...

Originally Posted by therunt

Before you make your decision you might want to figure in any extra costs that might come along to make the ride comfortable for you. I have a friend that used to assemble the bikes at Target, and on top of his hourly wages he was also paid compensation for every bike that he managed to put together. The more he could assemble meant more money, so the basic idea was put them together as fast as possible and move on to the next. Because of this haste in assembling the bikes there are often flaws such as loose brake/shifter cables, poor spoke tension, truing/dishing issues, etc. Any reputable bike shop on the other hand is going to be more deliberate when putting their bikes together, which translates to a less worrisome experience on the bike when you are just starting out.

If you decide to go with the Target bike, for your own safety/comfort, you will probably want to take it to a bike shop for a proper tune up which, depending on the shop, will cost you anywhere from $40-$60. Another thing you are going to eventually want to do is have the bike fitted to you, this optimizes your comfort on the bike, thus making the experience more enjoyable. I'm not sure what the cost for fitting is, as I've only ever bought bikes from Action Sports, where they tune up your bike and fit you for free when you purchase from them. Another plus of buying from a bike shop as opposed to a big box store is most bike shops offer free service for at least a year or two, or in the case of Action Sports, for the life of the bike (that service only includes basic tune ups. if the wheels need to be trued or spokes replace there's usually a small fee.) While, on the other hand, you get zero service from the box store. So if you were to go with the Target bike, anytime something wasn't working properly on it and you took it in to get fixed, you'll put out another $40+.

I was in the same boat a few years ago when I bought my first bike. Not knowing anything about bikes then, I was eying a "Schwinn" at Target. But after doing some research and weighing my options, I opted to go with a Trek 7100, which cost around $450. It was the perfect bike for me then, and I truly believe that if I had gone with the Target bike I very quickly would have either forked out the extra money to get a better bike, or would have given up on riding all together.

Anyway, those are just some things to consider. What ever you choose though, do get out there and ride. The world needs more cyclists.