I'm hoping to not totally break the bank, but i do realize that a lot of the times in bikes, what you pay for is what you get, so I'll say $550 max.
It's possible to get decent hybrids/city bikes/MTBs at $550. Not road bikes, but you aren't looking for one anyway.
I tried to research myself and probably confused my self more than was necessary. I looked at Bianchi (Boardwalk) , Trek(SU200) , Iron Horse (Transit 1.0), and Jamis (Coda). Of course i'm open to other suggestions, otherwise i wouldnt be asking. What would be your scholarly suggestions guys, i have no clue as to what is good or what is bad?
I second Falkon: Iron Horse is not on the par with the other manufacturers you listed. I would avoid them.
Now, a fairly common view is that in a given price range bikes will generally be of similar quality no matter the manufacturer, so you should just test-ride the bikes and pick one that feels good. Many newbies aren't sure what to look for when test-riding, so here is an incomplete and somewhat random list that might help nevertheless:
Things to check-out during a test ride
Do you like the way you're positioned on the bike when you're sitting down? When you get up to pedal? Do you feel cramped, or too stretched out, or too upright? Too upright - and you're losing efficiency, making longer rides very unpleasant. Too stretched out - same, unpleasant ride guaranteed. It is possible to tinker quite a bit with bike set-up raising/lowering the stem, adjusting saddle position, using different stems and handlebars, so if you like the bike but it feels slightly wrong, you can ask your LBS (local bike shop) if they would adjust it a bit for you to see if you like it better. However I personally would tend to look for a bike that fits well with stock configuration, because if you don't know much about bikes, you might not even know why it feels wrong and what might need adjusting. Your LBS should help you with that though.
One very trivial adjustment that should always be performed before you test-ride a bike is setting proper saddle height. Most shops will do this before letting you ride the bike. If they don't, it might be wise to choose a different shop.
Does the bike feel stable or twitchy? Responsive or sluggish? Do you like the way braking feels on this bike? Shifting?
Do you experience toe overlap with front wheel on sharp turns?
Bike features
FRAME: At your price range, most bikes you look at will be aluminum. It's possible you'll run into a steel bike as well. They are both all right. Aluminum is stiffer and you'll feel more "buzz" from the road if you don't have suspension on the bike but give you slightly higher pedalling efficiency. Steel will smooth out some of the road buzz at the cost. Steel bike may be slightly heavier than an aluminum bike but that all depends on frame and component quality, so it's not a given. Basically, I would let frame material alone affect my decisions too much. Just evaluate if you like the feel of the bike on test ride.
SUSPENSION: On a Walmart bike, quick death of suspension (or any other component) is not surprising. It shouldn't happen with stuff of reasonable quality. However, I'm not a fan of suspension myself when it comes to riding on the pavement. It's heavy and it steals pedalling energy. Now, trails or bad pavement are a completely different story, but you say it's going to be mostly pavement or non-technical off-road stuff, so if I were you I'd go with no suspension. Personal preference.
WHEELS: For a 245-pound rider it is especially important to have good wheels. Preferably hand-built instead of machine-built, but that may put your over your budget. At least make sure they have double-walled rims.
And here are some things you should NOT pay much attention to
SADDLE: Saddles are very individual things, and it's not surprising if a stock saddle doesn't fit you. Expecting that one saddle fit all customers is like expecting that size 8 shoes should fit everyone. Your bike shop will usually let you swap a stock saddle for another one if stock doesn't fit.
TIRES: If you'd like thicker/thinner/slicker/knobbier tires than stock, the bike shop will often let you swap 'em for tires of similar price/quality.
And finally the most important thing
The quality of your LBS. It ultimately matters much more than the brand of bike you're going to get. In the same price range and type they all perform about the same, so a much more important thing to ensure is that you have a good relationship with your bike shop so that you can keep your bike tuned and adjusted. Unless, of course, you decide to learn to do bike maintenance yourself (which lots of people do). Here are some things to check out about a bike shop:
Is it conveniently located? Do they cater to the needs of cyclists like you (as opposed to hard-core racers, for example), carrying a good selection of lower- to mid-range hybrids? Do they treat $300-bike customers with the same amount of courtesy and attention as $3000-bike customers? Do they have good customer service? Are they patient and trying to find a bike that'll suit your needs as opposed to pushing something too expensive? Do they have a free tune-up program for customers who buy their bikes (as a minimum they should offer one free tune-up after the initial bike break-in period, but most shops include a few more after that)? Are they willing to swap components on stock bikes for you? Do they seem knowledgable and competent? Do they have quick tune-up/repair services (it's annoying if you have to wait a week for your bike to get tuned up). In short, do you like their vibe, the cut of their jib?
If you do like your LBS, just look at and test-ride the brands they do carry. You can then post the models here and get more advice about them. Of course, if nothing feels quite right, or if you're not sure if you can't find something better, go to a different shop.
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Anyway, as I said, long and random. Hope it has some helpful bits.
