Originally Posted by cluu1

hi,
I've been lurking the forums for a few days.. i'm looking for a new bike.
mostly for going to school and some small errands, and just going places with friends.

I'm not sure what a good bike is, i've done a bunch of searches but i'm still not sure..

my budget is around 500,
could go higher or lower. I've looked at craigslist for bikes, but i'm not that tall at 5'4-5 ish so pretty much all the bikes were too big.

I'm located in vancouver, bc canada and i've visited bike doctor and sports junkies. but i see many reviews that bike doctor is not good..

Are there any good places that can be recommended?

I think i want a hybrid bike, with straight handlebars, not single speed or fixed gear.