New bike

I work for a shop that sells Trek, Scott, and Raleigh. They all make good bikes. So do Specialized, Cannondale, Giant, Felt, and at least a dozen others.

I have a favorite brand, but he died in 1979. Really, it's pretty difficult to buy a bad bike in a good store, but somewhere there is a bike that suits your needs and makes you want to ride it better than all others. You just have to look for it.

You should choose which type of bike you want buy and search some best brands of bike, target your favorite brand.Choose few of bike models compare them.

For me a lot will depend on what surface your going to be riding on and what your using the bike for before we can really suggest anything.

Are you using it just to ride the trails for leisure or are you going to be commuting on it aswell, they're the first questions you need to ask yourself.

I agree with chrislee99777 and pwarbi, you really have to first define what your cycling needs are going to be. It helps to write this down and then search for brands. There are a lot of creditable consumer reports published about the best bikes and brands. My suggestion is to buy a less expensive bike first and then if you really get into it, dive fully into it.