budgets are budgets. a used $200 bike will probably be a better buy than a new $200 bike.

keep in mind that a used bike should be fully inspected by someone who knows what they're looking at. this could cost money at a bike shop. if the important parts are in great shape, you still probably need to buy new tubes, tires and maybe cables. that's another $50 or more.

with a new bike, a $200 hybrid (if there is one) will probably come from a department store and not a bike shop. this means it was probably put together by a kid failing algebra. which means you should probably have that bike checked by a bike shop too.

so...what's my point? save your $200 and work toward adding another $200 to it. my LBS has layaway plans as well as account setups for same as cash loans.

I'm all for saving money, but your chances of finding a quality $200 hybrid are slim to none. especially in a big city like san francisco.