EccoWing

Hi all!

Still getting to know these forums well enough to choose the correct spot for my threads, but I'm hoping I picked the right one for this subject.
My wife and I recently got a couple used bikes, I posted in a different thread about them and about how to get them tuned up. After a few friendly replies and a trip to my local bike store, we got new brakes new tubes and a few other odds and ends to get them working well. We actually really enjoy riding them together every night, so I'd say we have found a new hobby.
My question here is, my wife, for Christmas, wants us to get a couple nice mid Quality hybrid bikes. We looked a little while we were at the bike shop but we are completely uneducated when it comes to nice bikes. They were a little too busy to ask a bunch of questions, so I figured I would get a preliminary recommendation from the extremely knowledgeable forum users here. We both want a bike that we can take on bike trails as well as the sidewalks and streets. I will be using my bike for commuting at times, as we share a car. My wife on the other hand will be using her bike mainly for leisure. Performance and quality are of the utmost importance to us. We aren't much for bells and whistles and fancy paint jobs. Although, those can be quite enticing as I have seen from visiting the bike shop LOL.

We had originally thought about going high-end and spending about $1000 on each, but after doing a little window shopping we decided to try to find to mid range bikes for about $500 a piece. The wife even suggested asking for recommendations of a cheaper bike for her as at the moment she has no preference and is basically just getting the hang of all of it.
Here are our stats, if it helps:

I'm 6'4
215lbs
Want a bike for leisure and some commuting

She is 5'3
150lbs
Wants a bike thats comfortable and fun that can help her improve her skills

The vast amount of knowledge from the community here is such a gem. I can recall a time when if you wanted to know information like this, you had to call around to 10 different stores and visit three or four of them before you got some type of answer you were looking for. I know that in the end the only way to truly find something is to go and check them out in person, but any and all suggestions or recommendations are greatly appreciated. After all, we are all anxious to share what we know!

Leisesturm

7.2 FX Women's | Trek Bikes
There is also a men's model. I can't think of anything cuter. His 'n' Hers Trek Fitness Bikes.

Carbonfiberboy 

Well . . . you might think about getting a tandem. It's most fun a couple can have with their clothes on. The problem with couples' cycling is that invariably one rider will be faster than the other. A tandem solves that problem and is faster on the flat into the bargain. BF also has a Tandem Forum.

Leisesturm

T 900 | Trek Bikes

Doc V

I know Specialized, Cannondale and Trek (as others have pointed out) make bikes in this range under the Fitness category.