Originally Posted by Roody
I think this guy has the right idea. New riders must feel overwhelmed--even humiliated--when they go into the average LBS.
This forum is actually a prime example of that. Most times when a newbie asks for advice here, they get all this arcane data about gear inches and component groups. If I had heard that stuff when I first started riding, I never would have taken it up. Luckily, I "ignorantly" bought a $30 abused Walmart bike for my first bike and had fun with it. I graduated to a used Specialized Hardrock ($100), and I still ride similar bikes, and go about 100 miles a week on them--quite efficiently and happily.
The big manufacturers do make nice entry bikes in the $300 to $500 range. You can even buy a nice road bike for $600, if you don't mind a loss of status in the cycling community. Unfortunately, most bike shops (and most BF threads) fail to steer novices toward these practical and inexpensive bikes.
+1000
And it's also true that people should look more as a bike as a viable means of transportation. While in some cases you get what you pay for the flip side is that someone just wanting to commute 5 miles each way doesn't need a top end racing bike as an entry bike. They need something that they'll want to ride and feel comfortable riding so they'll ride more.