It sounds like a road bike is what you're looking for--since you're in the city--I imagine lots of paved roads you'll be on? Thinner tires--(not a mountain bike?)

There's a ton on the internet that you can look at--then maybe try out at a local bike store to see what suits you best. They range from inexpensive to the very expensive.

I love cycling, especially for transport. Here's what I've learnt so far:

- If possible, buy a bike from a bike store. It will have been put together by someone who knows what they're doing, and more importantly, you should get a free service after a few months. This is because the cables stretch, which means the brakes need more effort, and often, your lowest gear will stop working. Very irritating if you live in an area with hills!

- Hybrids are generally the best choice for a first bike. Get slick, widish tyres, as knobby tyres make you work harder and wider tyres provide a bit of cushioning. Cheap fork suspension breaks easily and makes the bike heavy, so avoid unless you have bad shoulders. Seat suspension can be nice.

- As you have hills, you need gears! For really big hills, you want a giant cog on the back and a tiny cog on the front. I didn't get low enough gears, and eventually replaced the back cassette. Learn from my mistake!

- Get a rack, and if it rains a lot where you live, get fenders too (though the rack will protect you from the worst of it).

- Test ride the bike. Make sure you feel comfortable. Try it out on a hill, preferably a steep one.

- Google around for free bicycle courses and maintenance workshops in your area. Big cities are trying to encourage cycling, and there are more and more resources springing up.

- Get some chain oil and learn how to clean your chain. It'll last much longer. Chains are the part of the bike that need to be replaced the most often as they stretch. If they stretch too far they can start to wear out your back cassette, so if you've been riding a lot, it's worth getting your chain checked. (a bikeshop will do this for you, as they get to sell you the chain if you need a new one!)

- If you're riding in the dark, make sure you're easily visible.

- Bike accessories are often much cheaper online. I love my Wald folding baskets, and they're less than $20 each.

- Buy a bike that is pretty. You'll be more likely to ride it if you like it. Have fun!

Thank you so much, this is great info! I'm hoping to be able to get one by the end of this month. I just bought some pricey workout sneakers yesterday and need to save up for this. I'll make sure to print out this thread before I do go to the bike shop. I looked around and even asked a few friends who ride bikes and they pointed me to a great shop that's within walking distance from me, which is a local business. I'm soooooo nervous about testing out a bike though. I literally haven't been on one since I was a teenager. I hope I remember how to do it! I'll feel like such an idiot if I can't even ride one anymore, much less test it out on a hill!

You'll be fine!

When I went to go get my first bike, I hadn't been on a bike since a teen either. You will be amazed at how fast it comes back to you.

Tabbycat here.

I wanted a bike to ride around the neighborhood for exercise, and maybe ride to work (I teach at an elementary school about a mile and a half from home). I live near Houston and it is very flat here, so I didn't want gears. Besides, I wanted the bike to EXERCISE so I figured a one speed would be just fine. I also wanted a foot brake.

I used gift cards from my students and bought a cheap cruiser from Target. A young neighbor adjusted the seat and handle bar heights for me. I bought a wire basket and a bell and a helmet, and I have had a blast riding that cheap bike! When it's cool enough I even ride it to school.

Because it is a cheap bike, it is already getting rusty (I live almost on the Gulf coast in an apartment, so it is chained under the stairwell... protected from rain but not from our humid air).

But for 97 dollars, I am getting my money's worth! :)

I got the 26" Next Avalon Comfort Bike from walmart's website about a month ago for $95. Ordered online from walmart and used store pickup. It was in stock at my local store and got it same day fully assembled. They assemble it for you free, or you can call them in advance to see if its assembled and if not request that they assemble it. It's $120 now but I guess still pretty good at that price. You could probably get much better tuning and service and a better bike at a bike shop, but I didn't really want to go through the hassle or price since it was just for exercise purposes and not much else.

I've been riding at night in a small well lit parking lot near where I live, going around in circles over and over again. All the cars are gone. My area is a bit hilly and there are a million and one potholes and cracks so a smooth and uninterrupted parking lot is the best thing. My general neighborhood is also pretty dark and I have to stop at each intersection, so the only viable way to exercise consistently is at said parking lot. I bought a headlight/tail light combo for $15 for better visibility to and from the parking lot. You could listen to your music or something but I usually daydream to keep myself occupied. My butt starts hurting at around 25 minutes in and I occasionally stand up on the bike for a few seconds for relief. I've invested in a $20 cruiser seat from amazon that looks gigantic. Just waiting for it to ship now.

I've been riding for about 45 minutes, including the ride to and from the parking lot, every night. I do walk the dog for 30 minutes prior though, although its more a leisurely stroll that involves feeding any kitties I stumble upon. I've dropped about 7-8lbs in a month (I'm a little over 200), and noticed a significant change in the looseness of my torso flabbiness and thighs. I've tried to eat less, but it's not a priority. Just don't eat TOO much. I just ate four slices of really oily pizza today because I skipped lunch and was still hungry after dinner and a bike ride. Your hunger will come back to bite you in a more ravenous fashion if you skip or reduce your meals. Also makes me more irritable, and less focused on biking, so yeah I haven't really made any significant changes to my eating habits. I also drink a lot of diet dr pepper and diet A&w root beer. They make a great combo to switch between, and water of course.

Good luck with whatever your goals are!

I wanted to update everyone about my new bike! I got it last week and it's fantastic. It's a hybrid diamondback and cherry red. I bought it from the local bike shop along with a helmet and have been riding it ever since. My neighborhood is not great for bike riding, lots of traffic lights and pedestrians and double-parked cars (I do live in NYC afterall) but I get plenty of exercise going through the hills. The seat is wide and comfortable but my butt is much wider lol and will eventually like to splurge on a better seat. I keep it in the garage for now and eventually need to get a lock, a kickstand, a basket, a bell and more reflective gear.