Originally Posted by Doug5150
If I had to guess, I'd say the most useful bike for an average person would be a "comfort"-type bike with a geared hub and a big rack and baskets on the back.... 7-speed hubs are still pretty expensive however, and US bike companies suck when it comes to attaching racks (the racks don't need to be welded onto the frame, but why the puny screws???).
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http://breezerbikes.com/bikes.cfm
These are pretty inexpensive when you factor in having to buy fenders, racks, and lights separately from the bikes themselves. People look for cheap because bikes are only looked upon as toys.