Hey folks, I'm new here; looking for some advice.

I haven't ridden a bicycle in a few years and have never been very serious about it (that one was a secondhand from my dad about as old as I am). But I want to start biking again and am shopping for something to call my own. And I realized; whoa, new bikes are really expensive. I do want to get something quality that will last a while, but I'm just out of college and not exactly rolling in the $.

I started thinking that it might be better to get a used bike, which it stands to reason should be less money for generally the same quality. However, even with the research I've been doing, I'm still totally new to this and worried that I couldn't tell the difference between a total crap bike and a good find. At least with a new bike, I know what I am getting. It's just my bank account hurts by even thinking about it.

I'd appreciate any suggestions. Thanks!