New To The Cycling World-need Help

My wife and I are looking for new ways to keep healthy and exercise, we have enjoyed biking in the past owning bikes back in 2011 before we decided to move around the country. We have settled in Indian Rocks Beach, FL for the past 2.5 years and are ready to purchase bikes again. We rented some bikes, and biked the Pinellas Trail and had a great time, and it renergized our desire to own bikes. My question is, we aren't looking to spend thousands of dollars, or become competitive cyclists, just want to bike around our neighborhood, local parks, etc. Wondering what our best option is to get started, and what types of bikes we should be purchasing for what we will be using them for. Any help/feedback would be appreciated. Thank you.

 

You should be able to find something that will work in the five hundred dollar per bike range - you are probably going to want a hybrid, commuter, cruiser or comfort type bike or perhaps a straight mt bike. Please DON'T go but a mass market bike at Walmart etc - quality is poor and you will have breakdowns and parts failures.

A good local bike shop is your best bet. This is a good time of year for sales as they are transitioning into the 2016 models so have discounts on 2015s and older stock.

You need helmets. Period. Not open for debate - trust me on this one, I work in a field where I see the aftermath of illness and injury on families - neither of you wants to take care of someone with a serious head injury or be widowed early. So plan on spending a little on a few accessories - helmets, water bottles and cages, lights if you ride at dusk or dawn or night, gloves, a couple of basic repair items for field repairs.

There are hundreds of bike manufacturers - you really won't go wrong with any major brands like Trek, Fuji, Specialized, etc.