hey so, im not really commuting to a job....but i live half time in the suburbs/half time in the city. I have no lisence, and public transportations becoming very expensive. I know how to ride a bike, and dont mind riding long distances, I'm a pretty good rider. I've always used my older brothers bike, but now I'm looking to buy my own especially since all my friends are getting their lisences and thats not something i can really afford right now. THe problem is I know nothing about bikes, i now use my brothers iron horse mountain bike but hes taking it to college with him. where do i start? any help would be appreciated!

How far are you going to need/want to ride? What is the climate like? How are the roads where you will be biking? Will you be doing all of your biking on paved roads? Will you need to carry things with you while you bike, and if you will, would you want to put things things on your person or on the bike?

i guess i should have made all of that more clear...one of the things thats kind of confusing me about the decision of which bike is the different terrains ill be riding. i spend half my time in new york city, but ill also be riding paved roads in the suburbs to get to my friends houses etc. But I think it's safe to say most of the riding i'll be doing will be on paved roads, allthough where I live some of the roads are pretty rough even if they're paved. It would be nice to be able to carry things with me, but i wear a backpack almost everwhere i go so it's not too important for me to be able to put things on my bike.

How much money do you have to spend on this bike?

i mean right now i have about 500 saved up, not necessarily for a bike, but i mean i could spend it on the bike, and i have a job so if i needed more money then that I suppose I could save it too. Theres a used bike store in my town that i was going to check out, if you can't tell im not very experienced in this, I've mostly been using hand me downs until now. And thank you all for your help, i really appreciate it.

I am sure you can get a decent quality bike for under $500. I too thought that I would have to spend that much on a bike, but found a good deal on a 2008 model at a local bike store (LBS). Maybe you can check bike shops in your area and get a deal too.

It sounds like a used road bike will suit you well. I was in your position when I started college - I was used to mountain bikes and hybrids, but needed something practical for commuting over roads. I was amazed at how much easier riding was with a proper road bike. I would go to the used bike shop and see what they have to offer. You shouldn't have to spend more than 200-300 on the bike to get something decent or better. Try some different bar styles to see if you like riding upright all the time, or if you want something with drop bars. If you're looking to get by a bit more cheaply, you might want to try a single speed bike, which will also make maintenance much easier. If you want fenders/bags, be sure that the frame can accept them without too much trouble. Don't be afraid to thoroughly test ride it and ask the bike shop person if they have any recommendations for you. Also don't forget to budget for lights, lock, and helmet if you don't already have them. Good luck!

allright thank you so much, ill deffinently go to the bike shop in my town and see if they have any used road bikes.

Aren't garage sales gonna start up soon? Grab a used road or touring bike w/ rack and fender braze ons. If it already has a rack, even better. Scour the mechanics forum for info on how to clean and tune it up and call it a day. Zip tie a milk crate to the rack, maybe a basket up front and you've got the same transportation your dad had millions of years ago. Who knows, you might still be growing so I wouldn't spend crazy money on a bike that may not fit in a year or two.

If his (her?) budget was lower, I'd definitely recommend a garage sale bike. The trouble is that you don't really know what you're going to get with them quality wise unless you already know what to look for. As long as the used bike store is reputable, the quality there should be more consistent, and if things do go wrong they would be more likely to help him out for free/cheaper if he bought from them. Besides, it's always a good idea to have a positive relationship with the LBS, and having a variety of bikes to try out might be helpful. On the other hand, if you're willing to put in some effort learning maintenance and repair, a garage sale bike can provide a good ride for cheap.

her, yeah i think im going to check out a garage sale, but there is a used bike store in my town that I'm also going to stop by.