Long Distance Cycling - What kind of bike for DALMAC?

Long story short, my wife and I are just getting into cycling and were contemplating a goal of DALMAC (http://www.biketcba.org/DALMAC/dframe.html)in 2009. The problem is that she needs a new bike. Right now she is borrowing my sisters old, heavy and ill-fitting Fila San Simeon (some sort of commuter looking that should be replaced regardless of whether or not we do any distance riding).

The thing is, we can't afford to get a bike just for long distances. Our regular riding is 10-15 miles on the weekend and if she takes up biking to work then it will be six miles each way, all along a paved trail that follows a river (which makes it a little too bumpy for a road bike) with a little bit of street. Really, if she gets a new bike then it needs to be for what she will use it for most which is riding around town but we also want one that she can use for long distances.

A salesman at one bike shop we went to said that a hybrid could be used but was not particularly enthusiastic about the idea and wanted to see her in a road bike. We talked to another guy at another lbs and he seemed to think that a hybrid would work just fine, but to me he didn't seem that interested in putting her in the perfect bike so I am not entirely sure about trusting him.

She has tried some sort of Bianchi hybrid, I can not remember the model at the moment, which she thought was ok. She then tried a Trek 7200(ish) and liked that better and then a Trek 7.3FX that I think she liked the best. Would either of the Treks be suitable for a five day DALMAC? She tried a couple Fuji road bikes and didn't like being bent over that far, but that may have been simply because she had never been on a road bike before. In any case, I think a road bike is out because of the regular riding we do. And the road bikes are a little out of our price range (I fully understand the pros of investing in a quality bike and if the money was there I would be fine dropping a chunk of change, but the money simply isn't there). I think the Trek 7.3FX was priced at about $539 and that is about our limit. Maybe we could squeeze out a little more if the upgrade was significant, but it would make things tight.

So how about it? Hybrids yes or no? The bikes she has tried out yes or no? Any other bikes she should try? If it matters, we won't be getting her a new bike until next year but want to start doing the research now and also find out how much money we have to save for it.

Thanks for your suggestions, I really appreciate it.

I use the same bike for commuting, errands and long distance. While what I spent is above the stated price limit you're aiming for, I think one of your better resources might be checking your local Craigslist. Look for a road bike that's in good condition, which could be outfitted with the necessities to make it an 'around town' bike.
I use a cyclocross bike with 28mm street tires, fenders, and a front rack with a handlebar bag. Plenty of the bikes I see on the century and longer rides around here are older (70s and 80s) frames with some updated components.
I wouldn't go with a hybrid if you're looking to get into long distance.

I use the same bike for commuting, errands and long distance. While what I spent is above the stated price limit you're aiming for, I think one of your better resources might be checking your local Craigslist. Look for a road bike that's in good condition, which could be outfitted with the necessities to make it an 'around town' bike.
I use a cyclocross bike with 28mm street tires, fenders, and a front rack with a handlebar bag. Plenty of the bikes I see on the century and longer rides around here are older (70s and 80s) frames with some updated components.
I wouldn't go with a hybrid if you're looking to get into long distance.

Thanks for the reply. From some brief googling seems that cyclocross bikes are slightly out of our price range though. I thought about hitting up CL too, but since I am just getting into cycling myself I don't feel very comfortable making a purchase like that - I don't really know what to look for or look out for, and I don't feel comfortable making repairs myself. And I figure if I pay someone to do all of that I might as well spend a little more and get a solid new bike.

One other possibility is to borrow my mom's road bike. She did DALMAC a little over 10 years ago and got a nice bike to use for it. She's a few inches shorter than my wife but I was wondering if it would be enough to hike the seat way up to account for my wife's long legs. The reach would be a little shorter than optimal, but it would at least be a road bike. I'll have her try it out and see if it is a big deal.

I am a little concerned about her hand positions on long rides. The flat bars don't offer much, and I don't know what kind of options bar ends would provide. The handlebars on a road bike would give her more options.

Do it TWOgether on a road tandem!

smirkingjack, I feel your pain. I'm getting back into long distance biking after several years' hiatus and I'm going to do the 4-day DALMAC this year. I have done centuries and 150s on road bikes and in those days, I used road bikes exclusively. However, I started mountain biking a few years ago and I found that I really enjoy being off road. Also, I'm somewhat heavier than I was before and I find that high pressure tires are more problematic for me than they were before.

I bought a Schwinn "Comfort Road" bike with 26 x 1.95 tires and it holds me much better than my road bike. I also like the way the wider tires handle the gravel road shoulders. In my area of Michigan, bike paths are not so easy to find and I find myself needing to take what ever space the traffic will allow and usually that means gravel and mud shoulder of the road.

I have found that many people feel that long distance riding should be done on a road bike but I now see it differently. I like the comfort position and the wider seat and I have long since replaced my road bike seats with spring supported comfort seats. For a race bike, buy a roady but for distance, your wife should buy whatever is comfortable. If she is going to be in the saddle for 6 to 10 hours per day, comfort rules. I'm planning on doing the DALMAC on my comfort bike and I don't think I'll be the only one. I own several bikes but I find myself using the comfort bike as an all-around vehicle and I only take my road bike out for nostalgic reasons. I find that with the right frame size and handle bar positioning, I can pick up as much speed on the comfort as the roady and I feel better after a long ride.

Also, like zonatandem said, tandem is a great way for couples to go. My wife and I prefer the tandem when we ride together because she tires quicker and we know that we will be together. I don't have to wait for her and she can stoke as much or as little as she wants without worrying about how it affects me. When the going gets tough, we just coast a while.