I could not disagree more on the hybrid point. Hybrids as a category span the gap between mountain and road bikes and are an excellent choice for a great many riders who neither want to go crashing down the side of a mountain nor want to ride all stretched out with their ass in the air and their teeth on the bars. They are suited to just about every type of riding between those two extremes. My hybrid rolls exceptionally well on road - particularly since I swapped out the stock 35 rubber for 28s. And since my off roading consists of gravel paths and groomed woodland trails, I don't need front much less full suspension - the bike handles those just as well. The more upright riding position is comfortable - a major plus for a new rider - and affords a more heads-up view of traffic for suburban riders and commuters.

I have a road bike and love it much. But if I were recommending a great all-rounder for a newer rider looking to get off the couch and get fit, it would be hard to beat a hybrid. Frankly, if I had started out with a road bike - as so many here seem to recommend - I probably would not have got into cycling in the first place, as those quick 20km early morning rides that transition from road to gravel to woodland trails and back again are what hooked me.

A go (just about) anywhere do anything bike is the right choice for a lot of people.