Hey guys.
Only got back to riding a bike in the past 6 weeks or so. I would love to ride to work soon enough and I've been riding a few miles a day to prepare myself. I'm using a 10 year old Pacific mountain bike so I'm sure I really can use an upgrade. I actually attempted a trial run yesterday morning but only made it halfway. My legs were already tired from the past few days and it was a little windy so I had a headwind once I got on the busier road. Not only that, but the end of my trip has a slight incline too. I just turned around.
1) It's just over 5 miles to work. First half of the trip is residential, the last half is a 2 lane each way road. Fairly busy, but I'd be going to opposite way of traffic going to and from work. Cars go west in the AM, I go east so I luck out there.
2) I'm 31, about 5'6" and around 175 lbs. Hopefully dropping a few pounds as the cycling continues. Not sure if that has anything to do with bike selection.
3) I do like the shifters on my current bike although I don't know what they're called. You grab the handle bar and twist it forward or back. My wife has levers on her handle bar which I don't care for. They seem harder to find whereas mine are very easy to find.
4) I've never been on the local trails so I have no idea what they are like. I did find a youtube video and it looks like this particular trail is part paved, part packed dirt.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kv8UEjpZsJA I'd like something that can possibly do easier trails and double as my work bike if possible. I don't plan on any aggressive mountian biking, just casual stuff.
Thanks for the input!