OK, after reading thru this entire thread, this Rowan character (Crikey)! got me to chime in.
I have 5 bikes. I started as a kid (of course) on schwinn cruisers delivering newspapers. 150 newspapers on very steep hills for 4 years. Now I'm 38 years old. I've run the bike gamut from cruiser to mountain bike to recumbent. For me it's been the inevitable fact and journey of most bike riders: Once you start getting older, you are no longer the bullet-proof kid of years past. Some bikes aren't as comfortable to ride anymore, so you look for ones that are.
I ride a full suspension mtb on trails (I go to Moab and Durango 2 weeks annually), I ride a recumbent around San Diego's wonderful and long bikepaths. I ride an old mtb that I've spent hundreds of $ on to make it more comfortable: suspension fork, chopper handlebars, various seats... And it's still uncomfortable. "And notice that I'm not including names/manufacturers of my bikes to "sell" brands or preferences. Gotta keep the "Rowans" of the world happy, dontcha know?
So what's my point? This forum is providing a service to people who are looking for the right bike for their specific biking needs. No more no less. I ususally don't post to forums. For some reason most of them start off with good topics only to degenrate into adolescent name calling and bull-headed nonsense.
One guy made a point that all the bike snobbery wanted to make him give up the sport entirely. Don't blame him. I've seen the same attitudes pervade and degrade surfing. The idea that a "Real" cyclist or "Real" surfer is one who rides a certain bike or board is the kind of thinking typically done by insecure, ignorant, knuckle-dragging cretins. OK, done ranting now.
A good friend of mine is 53. He bought a used mtb from a friend but complained of discomfort. I gave him a "junksaver" seat. Then he said his wrists were going numb. I said go buy a bike that fits your riding style and is comfortable, or you will never ride a bike again. He found the "bike discussed in this thread", test rode it, and plans on buying a pair for himself and his girlfriend. Once that happens, we have 2 more happy bike riders, and I have 2 more people I can ride with. Great!
So..... Go find a bike you like. Forget the "Rowans" and other grump-mongerers. Let this forum educate you to other's experiences. Then go out and TEST RIDE, TEST RIDE, TEST RIDE!
Happy New Year and "May the Force to Pedal be with you"!