I recently got into cycling to improve my health and fitness. Because of the fact that I had not biked in years, my first bike was just a cheap Walmart junker. I couldn't see spending a lot of money on equipment until I knew that I would stick with it more than a few weeks. I am 46 and fat. Not a little out of shape, but fat. I am up to the point where I can routinely do a 15 - 20 mile ride on my Walmart junker. It takes forever, but I manage to do it. I am at the point where I'm looking to upgrade to a little better equipment, but I'm on a budget, so I can't go out and spend $1000 on a new bike. I have been reading the forums and reviews and I'm still not sure on what is the best bike for me. I ride mainly on paved roads and paved bike paths. My ultimate goal is to be able to go out and complete a 50 mile ride and of course improve my fitness level. I've read alot information and still can't decide if I should get a road bike or a hybrid (i.e., performance hybrid or fitness bike). Any solid advice for noob would be greatly appreciated.