Mostly as of now, going to be road. Ill probly be biking about 5-10 miles to my gym and a state park near me that is a cement trail. Eventually I would like to find trails near me and even people from sites like this who meet up and ride. So I don't want to be limited to anything. I want to be able to ride anywhere. 500 beans is wayyy over my range. I got an insurance bill right around the corner. As for frame geometry, what exactly should I be looking for? Normally before I buy anything, I do a ton of research on it so I don't get suckered by a persistent salesman. But I can't seem to find squat on the subject except for helpful people such as yourself.
Thanks much!

-Jeff