[S54MCoupe]

Hey! First of all, the type of bike that will be best for you depends on your terrain. If you want to ride road, get a road bike, and if you're planning on hitting the trails, get a mountain bike. A mountain bike can be ridden on the street, but it's not ideal, and you will probably get burned out pretty quick... but it is possible.

A road bike is only going to be good for the road.... no crossing over there.

There is somewhat of a compromise: A Cyclocross bike. Look up cyclocross on youtube. It's gonna take some time and skill to ride a cyclocross bike on a trail, but it is possible, and the bike will stand up the abuse you'll be dishing out. Cyclocross bikes are way tougher than road bikes (but not as tough as a mountain bike, like i said, a compromise.) It's got slim, but knobby tires, and the geometry lends itself to the trails a bit more.

Cost wise, if you're gonna buy a bike new, you're gonna have to spend at least $1k for anything worthwhile. Less than that, and you're gonna outgrow it (skill wise) pretty quick. You can always find one used for cheaper... let me know what you're looking at and I'll give you my opinion on it. There are a lot of variables, and it will be overwhelming if you've never looked before. The major companies, like Specialized, Trek, Cannondale, Bianchi, Felt... those are reliable and easy to find. You're also gonna want to make sure you find the right size bike. I'm between 5'9 and 5'10, and I ride a 54cm. Your best bet for a good quality fit is a local bike shop that knows what they're doing.

Distance is all up to you, but make sure to ease into it. If you go crazy right off the bat, you risk screwing up your knees and hip flexors (among other things) It also depends on terrain. Mountain biking tends to be a bit more demanding than road. 20 miles on a flat road ride is a whole lot easier than 20 miles of non-stop climbing. It's all up to you, but you're going to find that covering distances is a whole lot easier on bikes than it is running. A good starting point might be 30 miles a week... If that turns out to be way too easy, bump it up to 50 the next week.... or, depending on your location, find some mountains and ride up em. On the flats, you can coast, on a hill, you earn every mile you put in.

Also, look into some good cycling shorts with padding... you'll thank yourself for the purchase. Without the padding, you're gonna want to quit biking soon. With padding (and some time for the muscles around you butt to develop and get used to being in the saddle for a long time) you'll be able to enjoy yourself.

I rode close to 300 miles this last 7 days, and the only complaint I might have is my left knee bothering me a bit.

I probably left a lot out... let me know what other questions you have.