gobiggergoredder

I have a 30 year old mountain bike and a three year old hybrid. On different days I like to ride one or the other. The new bike is smoother and the gears shift niftier and there's a better power-to-motion transfer, but overall it's not a better ride than the old bike.

Get a bike that fits your body. Your legs and torso and arms all fit on a bike different than mine. Ride a bunch of bikes from bike shops and sporting goods stores and get something you're comfortable sitting on that just feels right. That's the most important thing.

And get a good helmet. I like Bontrager but get something that feels good that you'll wear. Fashion doesn't matter over wearability. A good looking helmet that you don't want to wear is useless. 

I've had two big crashes the last four years. Your helmet is as important as your bike. Be safe.

My real advice is similar to Moiraines.

First, biking is like joining a gym, unless you are using your bike as your daily transportation more than likely you will use it a lot at first and then less...less and less...

Don't waste tons of cash now.  Get one for free, buy one used...Check it out and if you fall in love...upgrade.

I have seen/known so many people that buy an expensive bike, they buy the bike holder thing for their car, they buy a bike holder thing that they can hang their bike on at home, they buy the clothes and so on...and that freaking bike ends up hanging in the garage where a bunch of wolf spiders have turned it into a spider-condo.

I bough an old Trek for 100 bucks off of CL.  Works just fine.  Had the bike shop clean it and then re calibrate the gears.  We're moving to a development in 3 weeks that has some great bike path near.  Both paved and unpaved so I've been thinking it might be time to upgrade.  The old bike works just fine though so maybe you don't need to plunk down a lot of dinero to get the desired results.