First and foremost, the bike has to be comfortable for YOU. My personal preference is old lugged steel frame Schwinn "cross" bikes, but that said, my latest purchase is an almost new condition 2009 Marin Kentfield FS that has a suspension fork and a sprung seat post. How it will pan out is anyone's guess, but it sure looks awfully pretty in its limited edition orange fade, and it felt quite comfortable when I test rode it. So far, I'm having fun with it, and that is important, because if its fun, you'll want to keep doing it.