Any cyclists?

REI has some good starter bikes if there's one near you.

And I second the used bike suggestion. There are usually bulletin boards at local bike shops where guys are selling bikes after upgrading.

 

I bought my bike used for less than $200 and while I bitch about it (it's an old school mountain bike which I recently switched to street tires) I love that thing. I've been doing long rides (about 100 kms this past weekend) and enjoying the hell out of it.

Basically, buy what feels right for you. Get a used bike until you see if you still love it the way you did when you were a kid. THEN go and spend the money if you're so inclined.

 

A used bike is a good way to go, but again, make sure it fits. Fit is everything.

I will say this. If you are certain it's what you want to get into, go ahead and drop the money once and get a nice bike. Don't buy something because it's cheap and then start upgrading in 6 months. In the long run you'll spend more money.

If you want to be a roadie, don't buy a mountain bike and put road tires on it. Don't buy a hybrid. Buy a road bike. The difference is night and day.

If you want to be a roadie, that means you want to suffer. If you're just wanting to cruise around on the multipurpose paths and check out the scenery, then you're not committing to road biking. If you are really wanting to get into road cycling remember one thing: it should never get easier; you just go faster.

 

Shoeless speaks the truth, and props on the LeMond citation.