Hi,

My first post here. I am looking for some advice from the forum.

BACKGROUND:

I am 52 healthy but sedentary and looking to add bike riding into my life as a form of cardiovascular exercise. I also am an engineer and have a tendency to be a bit of a gear geek. I have an hour in the late afternoon after work and of course more time on weekends. I have both semi-country roads and a dirt/gravel canal path near my home. I also have a beach cottage in RI where there are plenty of country roads of varying quality to ride. I am fairly tall, 6'-2"+ and a bit heavy at 215 lb (could lose about 25 lb.). I used to mountain bike with my friends 15-20 years ago but haven't really biked in over a decade now. I am in the process of visiting 3 or 4 LBS within a 30 minute radius to see which shop I like most and of course to choose a bike. Because the canal path is so convenient as an option, I have been looking at bicycles that can be ridden on the dirt/gravel surface (Cyclocross and Hybrids). The 4 dealers near as a composite me sell:

- Cannondale
- Giant
- Jamis
- Specialized
- Trek

As a budget, I probably have up to ~$2k to spend on the bike (could spend more, but going into it that is what I had in mind), knowing that I will likely spend >$1k on a rack, helmet, pants, shoes, accessories etc. My friends told me to get a bike with >105 level components (or SRAM equivalent). I have only visited one shop so far and the two bicycles that I demoed (based on their inventory) where a Cannondale CAADX Disc Ultegra and a Trek 7.5 FX. Both felt good, but the Cannondale had much nicer components and offered the alternate riding postures and I gravitated towards that. I want to make sure that I buy something that is a good fit terrain wise and physically to me to encourage usage. I have read on this and other forums two-sides of hybrids: a) some feel they are great and b) others think that they are initially attractive to beginners but soon lose their charms being less aerodynamic and lack grip re-positioning for comfort. Conversely, Cyclocross seem like a purpose built race bike for relatively short rides on a specific type of race course.

QUESTIONS:

1) In terms of categories of bikes which should I be looking at and why? For example, I did not look a any road bikes, should I?
2) Among these makes are there any specific models that you would recommend?
3) As a frame material, most bikes seem to be aluminum (some with a carbon fork). Should I be looking into steel or carbon fiber for comfort (vibration dampening)?

Thanks,

Bob