Originally Posted by
ianstew
Is cycling like other stuff, where one crowd says "only the best will do, anything else is unserviceable junk" and the other says "buy the best you can afford, it'll be fine" or is cycling like some things, where the low cost stuff really is unserviceable junk?
All the above. Most folks on this forum will say to stay away from the department store bikes, but opinions will differ on the lower end stuff. It really depends on your expectations and intended usage. I tend to be more budget conscious and most of my bikes were purchased used. Keep an eye on the conversations here and you will develop a feel for what to look for in various gear.
One thing many people will do when bike shopping, especially on Craigslist, is to post a link here to get some feedback on what they are looking at and if it is a fair deal or not.