I need a decent bicycle and I haven't been on a bike in years. Can you recommend a bike for me?

Try looking at the bikes in the "fitness" aka flat-bar road bike category. These are bikes with a slightly more mountain bike than road style frame, straight handle bars (good for us old farts that don't wanna ride all hunched over) but smaller tires that reduce rolling resistance and make riding easier/more fun. For example, Trek has the FX series (which I own), Specialized has the Sirrus line, and Giant has the FCR series. Wider tires allow these bikes to go onto paved or packed trails, are great for riding around the neighborhood or to the store, but are not meant for true off-roading (some allow you to swap the tires out so you can put bigger ones on for more aggressive trails). They also have lots of gears to allow for easy rides up hills when out of shape. All of these that I have described are well within your price range too.

hard call - depending on your needs which type of bike to get can be hard to determine. i have 2 cannondales (one road and one mtn ) love them both. dont get hung up on brands tho, find one with good components that fits you nice and go for it. if you get hooked like me, you will probably end up getting a couple different kinds. 800 is a good budget, you can get a sweet bike for that price. I have 3, 1 road, 1 mtn and a commuter. I had 5 but my wife said i had to get rid of some! anyway, have fun, be safe and enjoy the best sport ever!

you have won some solid suggestion right here, yet enable me get slightly greater particular: do not purchase your bike from an excellent save. They comprehend what human beings think of is solid and make their motorcycles with a lot of fancy stuff like disc brakes and shocks, yet poor high quality. DO circulate to a close by bike save. i'm interior the U. S., so will not be able to show you how to comprehend what to look for, yet once you're interior the united kingdom, I assure there's a bike prepare close to the place you reside or artwork. The smaller and greater close by, the greater effectual the provider is my journey. the charges are purely slightly better than the huge save, yet you will get so a lot greater effectual bike. i became purely watching motorcycles the day previous for a youthful buddy in this finances and located various that have been large for $500 which ought to be approximately 250 BP. in case you're driving to artwork or college, i could advise right here: purchase from a close by save Get a scouse borrow physique is greater mushy than aluminum and greater effectual for commuting Get Shimano (yet not the 2200) or SRAM factors are not getting shocks - at your finances they are going to be very heavy and poor high quality are not getting disc brakes - at your finances they are going to be very heavy and poor high quality

You know, a walmart bike that fits your body is actually a decent choice. They have Mongeese mountain bikes for less than 200. With slicks, they would be decent.

They also have some sharp looking road bikes with the skinny slicks.

I rode a 60 dollar roadmaster every work day for a year, with a few flats and the occasional need for a cable adjustment being my only troubles.

You could also find a very good used streetbike on your local craigs list, for significantly less than you would pay in a store.

How about a townie Electra. You can get a new one with 24 gears for around $500. I had one and rode it everywhere, even doing over 50 miles on it. It is a very stable bike and easy to ride.

The TREK XO1 cyclocross bike seems appropriate for you ----it can go to flat asphalt to dirt roads when needed.

look into Townie