I think I've posted this before but I guess I'll post it again. For Shimano, the list of quality levels goes like this: Tourney < Altus < Acera < Alivio < Deore < Deore SLX or LX < Deore XT < Deore XTR

Now, sometimes they put a rear derailleur of higher quality on a bike like for example an Altus front derailleur with an Acera rear derailleur. I think if someone wanted reasonable quality, the Altus/Acera combination I think would be the minimum. As a side note, if you wanted to use Falcon friction shifters, you wouldn't have to adjust the derailleurs as often. You can use friction shifters more easilly with a 7 or 8 speed drivetrain although some people claim they can friction shift with a 9 speed cassette.

And I can understand everyone has their own personal opinions but, I would lean more toward a hybrid, mountain, or touring bike with flatbars if I were you. I think road bikes have sensitive steering and sometimes cannot accommodate wider tires to allow you to go off-road.

When I bought my bicycle, I sat on a bunch of bikes and sometimes even tried them out right in the aisles of the store to see how they'd fit. I found one that fit pretty well.

And these days there are often hybrids and comfort bikes. Comfort bikes often have 26 inch tires, wider saddles and somewhat more relaxed frame geometry from what I've seen. I prefer hybrid. But to each his own.