Looking for new bikes

I'm still not convinced that the Landriders work well when it's NOT snowing. What's your budget range?

Well our original budget was a max of 600-700 but that can change. We are looking for good quality not cheap cost.

I'm still unsure of what causes people new to bikes , or returning to riding, to be so concerned about shifting gears. 2 good friends of mine have expressed the same misgivings, and the folks at Landrider are all to willing to empart this concern to those who would have never thought of it, in order to promote the "gimmic" which their bikes are built around.

Unlike earlier friction shifting systems which require a rider to "feel" for the spot where the chain directly engages the sprocket, modern index shifting is a matter of clicking the shift lever, and you are in the gear. No skill, no distraction(no you don't have to take your eyes off the road as Landrider would have you believe) NO PROBLEM!

In theory a cyclist is kind of a 1 speed engine with a relatively constant leg cadence. Wind, incline, desired speed, and the feeling in your legs will quickly tell you what gear to be in. This is intuitive not cerebral.

At the request of one of my friends I looked at the Landriders on their website, and told him what I'll now tell you. The cranks, wheels, and all the other hardware on these bikes are not known quality name brand hardware.
What kind of wheels? They say "alloy". The best wheels are made of alloys, and some awful [censored] wheels are. These bikes cost about 6 to 7 hundred dollars, and are Hybrid class bikes.

A hybrid sounds like a good choice for your purposes. They may be the best choice for a rider who wants to own 1 modestly priced bike for the uses you have mentioned.I had one and liked it a lot. In truth many of the forum members, in that they are enthusiasts and competitive riders, ride purpose built road and mountain bikes, and have little use for hybrids. Specialized is one of several manufacturers who manufacture nice hybrids. (Also Trek)I saw a Crossroads model at the Local Bike Shop with decent wheels, fork, and Shimano mid line hardware for about $350! The bike shop can also fix it, adjust it, and get parts for it, which is more than they could do for the Landrider.

You decide.

I agree get a decent bike and take care of it and it will take care of you. A manual shifting bike is a much better idea as they are so easy to fix yourself. I just started riding a couple of years ago and I can do a lot of my own maintanence with very little effort. I don't knwo what it takes to fix a Landrider. And in the commercial they seem to compare it to a bike from the 70's that was probably bought at KMart.

A Hybrid is a great choice. My Hybrid is actually a Mountian Bike with road tires but I use it mostly to commute the 18 KM to work. When looking at Hybrids I have seen some that are more moutain bike and some are more road bike but both let you sit upright (just like the Landrider). If you are sticking to smooth paths and roads I suggest something from the Trek 7000 series of bikes. They have thinner tires so are much easier on smooth paths and roads. But if you want to head on bumpy paths and over logs then look at something much more mounmtain bike like but with smooth tires. There are plenty in your price range to choose from that are quality bikes.

Do not get the Landrider, they weigh a lot and are impratical.