Was wondering if anyone knew their stuff about bicycles.
Currently in the market for a bike, and it looks like I'll be looking for a hardtail, but I only came to this conclusion doing some research online.
I want to hit the bike trails here in Austin, as well as just ride around town and the city and what not.

Can anyone recommend a good brand/model, and how much I should expect to pay?

You can sit on my face and pedal my balls.

Goddamnit. I got excited for a second.

F*CKING analog cycles.

Pft. Bikes > a trillion times healthier than motorcycles! I give you props for your bravery posting that on the forum, Chris. :P

It looks like you're looking for a hybrid bike. Its a mountain bike mixed with a road bike. I have a Diamondback hybrid and I love it.

I had a hybrid that cost me $440, and some SON OF A BITCH stole it while I was in class. But yeah, not looking for a hybrid, as they can't handle trails/offroad type bidness too well. For commuting, it was bad ass tho. I'm still god damn bitter about it being stolen... seriously man, F*CK that.

Be a man and ride fixed gear.

I'd definitely fit in with the Austin hippie crowd, but no thanks :P

please dont ride a fixie

Some of the dudes here ride BMX type bikes doin tricks n stuff. Dunno if we have any riders of competition bikes though...That being said, I know a guy that jizzes all over his Cervelo bike. Damn thing ran him over $4k for the frame alone, but you can pick it up with one finger, it's light as hell. Google em, they look pretty cool.

Get a Gary Fisher. They have some sick ass bikes for cheap. Ive had mine since I was 7 and it still fits and rides awesome. If I had to buy another one Id buy a Gary Fisher.
http://fisherbikes.com/

Dude, no way in hell am I getting a fixie :P

I'll be watching this thread closely because I'm also looking for one. However, I am specifically looking for a nice folding bike so I can just fold it in my Civic's trunk and take it anywhere.

The current 2 models I am looking for are :

A random cheap but good looking one - http://www.2ksilver.com/catalog/product ... d06eb18fa8.

and

The Montague Paratrooper - http://www.montaguebikes.com/paratroope ... -bike.html.

I like the paratrooper but it's a bit too expensive. The first bike looks pretty good but I have no idea how reliable it is. I'm mainly going to ride it to get fit, not to get around or for mountain biking.

Of course, if there are any normal bikes that will fit inside a Civic (instead of having to use a bike hitch), I'll go for that.

I have (but don't ride currently) a Jamis Aurora which is amazing. But it's got the dainty tires that won't handle a bunch of rocks too well.

Gary Fisher has always been a good choice, just stay away from that carbon fiber ;) not like you'relooking to spend 2k on it anyway.

ooh pretty and the price is right.
http://fisherbikes.com/bike/model/kaitai

That would be me lol. But I don't know shit about the bikes you're looking for. Sorry. But if you ever feel like riding BMX bikes. Austin is one of the biggest bmx scenes in the world.d

I used to to a lot of biking, mostly urban/street (jumping down stairs, finding natural jumps etc) so I only rode hardtail.
There are a lot of awesome brands that sell bikes for under 1000$. My first hardtail was a Specialized Hardrock Sport and even with upgraded suspension (got rid of the SR Suntours, which are shit, and got some Marzocchi's) it only came out to 750$ (CAN). Gary Fisher makes good bikes as well. I would also recommend Norco and Rocky Mountain, both are Canadian companies and are known for making quality bikes that last a long time.

If not just head over to your local bike shop and see what they recommend. Shop around though, because obviously the shops are going to push the brands they carry, so their advice can be somewhat biased.

There are a lot of great bicycle companies out there and they all offer a range of bikes (and prices) but the thing to remember is: You get what you pay for.
Although it may seem like a good idea to get the 399$ special from Walmart, the components (derailleurs, rims, suspension etc) won't last and it will usually end up costing more to replace the parts then it would have had you invested in a nicer bike from the get go. Just my two cents!

Good luck!

*EDIT FOR REBORN*

I would suggest looking at the Brompton folding bikes. They are quite pricey, but are the "Rolls Royce" of folding bikes. If you don't feel like spending that much on a folding bike, try looking at Birdy. I've tried 2 of their bikes out and they are very well made and folded up quite easily. I believe one of the Birdy models even came with front and rear suspension, which is quite rare for folding bikes!

Schwinn used to be a good brand but im pretty sure they sold out. I would look on craigslist for Treks or Cannondales. They are both nice bikes. Be sure too get good components like montreal said, thats what makes a bike last. i know shimano used to be one of the best but its been a few years for me.