Originally Posted by danmc

When I bought my first road bike since being a teenager (30 years ago) I thought there were only 3 types of bikes: comfort, hybrid, and road. So I just looked at pics of those bikes with the curly handlebars! You have to take into account the type of riding you'll most likely do and the type of terrain. I think it might almost make more since to buy a medium-priced used bike and then after riding for several months you'll know more about what type of bike you want and need before spending the big bucks on something new.