My new bike
I was in a similar position but wanted a bike for exercise I hadn't ridden a bike in about 15 years. I gave my $700 mountain bike to a friend and started to seriously look for a bike just a few weeks ago. I got interested when I was in CA and borrowed a bike from the hotel to get a little exersise. It was an Electra Townie. Very comfortable bike with upright position and I felt much more safe on it than my mountain bike. The Townie I rode was just a single speed coaster type but it got me interested in bikes again.
I did not want to spend anywhere near $700 again and so I focused on reasonable but decent quality. I ended up with a Trek Navigator 2. It is a hybrid bike with 26 inch wheels and an upright riding position. I like it a lot and have routinely put 10-18 miles on it when I take it out for a ride. And that has been every day for the past week. It has fatter tires than a road bike which is good for me because I live near a dirt road that I take to get to the other side of town and it works great on pavement. And the 7 speeds and 3 ranges help out a lot.
I hope this gives you some ideas and good luck. Try out a few to see which is the most comfortable for you and be sure to mess with the handlebar and seat height to make sure you get a good fit on a frame that is right for you and comfortable.
Oh, and the nice part is that it is only $360.
cheers
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