No, this is not a Trek fanboy post (are they called Trekkies? ), rather this is someone needing advice on getting a newer bike that won't break the bank.

Compared to almost everyone on this forum, I am in the boonies when it comes to access to specialty bikes. I'm located in eastern North Dakota, where we only have decent riding weather for 3 or 4 months of the year. As a result, the two bike stores (one is an actual LBS, the other is part of a sporting goods store) only carry three brands (in ascending order of price): Trek, Giant, and Gary Fisher (Trek).

Now, I currently have a rather aggravating bike: Trek Navigator 200. It was forced on me by my wife, saying it would be more comfortable to ride around town. Sure, the seat is huge and padded, but I can't ride with any sort of speed. I'm looking to replace the beast with something more suited to exercising (I'm hoping to pull as great a miracle as Tom Stormcrowe did with weight loss). I'm contemplating the Trek 7.3 FX, but I'm also wanting to look at other options because of price.

• What are other options for brand?
• How do you go about getting a different bike than the brand sold in the immediate region?
• How do you decide which bike type to get (hybrid, fitness, or road)?
• Any recommendations for something sub-$500?

Sorry to sound so uninformed about this, but aside from the Navigator my only other bike was a Schwinn 10-speed I bought for $50 brand new in 1988 (which I still have in storage) when I was 11 years old.