In article ,
Maggie wrote:
It was fascinating. I also realized that bikes can cost a
freakin' fortune.

Bikes can cost a lot, but so can houses or cars. The cheapest
bike (that fits well) from a real bike shop will be adequate for
almost any beginning rider. An entry level road bike will cost
around $600 and it can easily handle 100 mile bike rides efficiently
and comfortably. Yes, you can spend $6000 on a dream racing bike,
but it is not going to be 10 times (or even 10%) faster.