Opinions on Bicycle

About seats: Whatever bike you buy, go to a local bike shop and be properly fitted for a bike seat. The gel cushions feel good at first, but having that gel press up into your bits over a long ride eventually leads to bruises and nerve damage. The seat SHOULD be relatively firm, because you want your weight to be supported by your 'sit bones', where the femurs engage the pelvis. If you use a seat that's too small or too soft, you'll have 'taint bruising', which (in men) can lead to erectile dysfunction and all kinds of generally nasty stuff for men or women.

Women tend to have a wider pelvis than men, so a generic seat probably won't fit you, unless you've got a particularly narrow frame.

A good bike shop will have you sit on a piece of gear with some memory foam or something like that, then measure the distance between your bum bone dents and be able to fit you up a saddle appropriately.

I'd recommend buying the whole bike from a local bike shop, because the "bicycle shaped objects" they sell at walmart and sporting goods stores make biking a chore, not a delight. Biking should feel like flying, not like trying to pedal an ox cart up a hill, and the difference in build quality between a Specialized, Giant, Norco, or any other 'real' bike brand and a SuperCycle is enormous. It's an investment, but it's an investment in your health and happiness, because a cheap bike will probably require work or replacement in a year or two, while a good Bike Shop bike will last a decade or more with only needing minor work, like cleaning and brake pads.

Cruisers are not good for any sort of distance. It's not about the hills, it's about the "sit up and beg" position. Although an upright posture and a cushy seat feel good at first, a position in which your arms do some of the work really saves your behind and nether regions in the long term, as does a stiff, supportive seat.

That said, a flat-back road bike with drop handle bars is not great for driving in traffic since it's hard to look up. Something in between, where the seat is roughly level with the handlebars, is your best bet.

Cruisers are not good for any sort of distance. It's not about the hills, it's about the "sit up and beg" position. Although an upright posture and a cushy seat feel good at first, a position in which your arms do some of the work really saves your behind and nether regions in the long term, as does a stiff, supportive seat.

Cruisers are great for a lot of situations and a lot of people.

That said, a flat-back road bike with drop handle bars is not great for driving in traffic since it's hard to look up. Something in between, where the seat is roughly level with the handlebars, is your best bet.

Really? last I checked, my head is always up and I'm always looking around. Regardless of the type of bike I'm on.

The best advice I can offer is to find a good local bike shop and spend some time looking over some of the commuter, hybrid, or cruiser bikes they may have. You should be able test ride a few bikes to try them for yourself. A local bike shop may cost a little more than ordering on-line but most offer value added services like tune ups & adjustment after the sale (plus there's value in taking advantage of their knowledge)

Buy the best bike that you can afford. A well made bike with good components will give you years of service, a cheap big box store bike is likely to be heading to the trash heap more quickly (usually very poor quality components and quite often they're assembled incorrectly)

Fit is very important (most bike shops will do at least a s basic fit for you and will often make minor adjustments afterward at no extra charge) for both comfort and mechanical efficiency.

It may take your sit bones a little while if you haven't ridden in a long time, give the saddle that comes with the bike a chance - if need be you can always upgrade that.

Remember, when you're operating a bicycle you're operating a vehicle. Obey traffic laws and ride defensively (I always assume everyone in a car is trying to kill me). Even if you're not riding at night pick up a white LED light for the front of your bike and a red LED light for the rear, I ride with my lights both on flash mode even during daylight hours - I want motorists to see me. (Check out some of the Planet Bike products, they're not very expensive and very visible)

Have fun!

How long is the ride to work?

First priority should be comfort, which is about the type of bike (think about how your body is positioned on different bikes - the more upright you are, the more comfortable you'll be) but also about how the bike fits you (too big, too small, just right).

After that, everything else are pretty minor details. The closer you get to a road bike the faster the bike will be (but generally at the expense of comfort). 2 things worth considering are 1) do you need to carry anything with you to/from work? If so, how will you do that? Something like a backpack can work, or you can get racks for the bike. 2) if you buy the bike from a department store, it's worth taking it to a bike shop and have them look it over to make sure everything is assembled correctly, everything is tight and secure, etc.

It's 4 miles to work.