Originally Posted by Blinkie

Basically this.

Honestly, go for a bicycle that appeals to you. A five mile ride on either road or hybrid probably won't do very much for someone. It's why so many people recommend going for progressively longer rides, although you start with shorter ones in the beginning.

I'm still saving for a decent bike, and right now I have about the worst someone could ask for (in fact, yesterday I literally pedaled off a pedal, but I digress). It had been about fifteen years since I've ridden, until this past week. I though a five mile ride would have been exhausting, but I've found ten to be a very easy goal. My first day, I did twenty. Although I was a little sore the next day, it was surprisingly not so bad.

I blame a lot of the success on reading threads here. Seriously: Work on cadence, learn the right way to shift your gears, breathe. You'll find yourself farther and with more energy than you anticipate.

And when you finally find your next ride, you'll also know a little more about your own riding preferences to make a better decision about a road bike, hybrid, or perhaps another option.