I anticipate you'll experience a certain amount of negativity in the next few hours and days so let me say "Welcome to BF", 51 was a great year for me so I hope you'll enjoy it as well, and don't let anyone give you crap for riding a bike from Walmart. As far as bikes go, I'd recommend something like my Trek. It's sturdy, it's stable, it's no speed demon but that's not what you're looking for anyway. You should be able to get one plus everything you need to make it right for commuting/touring for a real decent price at your local bike co-op.