I'm a semi-serious cyclist hivnag been riding over 20 years. I've already clocked over a 1k miles this year, including a Century (100 in one day).Two points:Don't get a department store bike (X-Mart, Costco, etc). They pretty much all suck and are assembled by idiots. Seriously ,they cost more than they're worth and can be unsafe.Since this is likely your first adult bike and first one in many moons, go to a bike shop and make sure they help you find one that FITS. A poorly fitting bike won't encourage you to ride and may make it hard to ride more than a couple miles in comfort. Be honest about your intended purpose, any physical issues that would affect how you ride (thinking about your motorcycle accident here), etc. Don't let them sell you a racing bike if you just want to noodle around town, but don't get a beach cruiser if you plan to ride distances measured in miles.A used bike is fine as long as it fits and is in decent shape. Don't go too cheap. A bike is an investment and you can easily get 20 years of service if just used on the road (offroad use shortens the life, natch).Without knowing what kind of riding you want to do (road, offroad, etc), it's hard to recommend a specific type, but a previous poster's hint to avoid knobbies for road riding is spot on. A "Hybrid" bike is probably the best bet for recreational riding on pavement. Most hybrids can even handle casual offroading on dirt roads and paths.Feel free to get in touch with me if you have specific questions. You should have my address from when we were talking about the CDs.Chris