[DirtyHippieUTE]

Right now I'd go for a lower price range hardtail mountain bike. Sometimes this requires a bit of an ego swallow when going into the bike shop, but you have to avoid the temptation to let them sell you the biggest, baddest, bike in the shop. Someday when you have found your niche in the biking world you'll want to upgrade to a more sport specific bike.

If you try for a road/mountain combination, what you end up with is a slow road bike that does not do well at all off road. In other words... You end up with a bike that sucks for both purposes. There are people who buy and use cyclecross bikes but it is sort of a sport unto itself.

If you plan to ride on the road and dirt go with a mountain bike with tires that are a little thinner and have a less agressive tread pattern. The posture and stability of a mountain bike will make the transition into cycling a little easier for you and leave you with both options. A mountain bike is much slower than a road bike on pavement but that really only makes a difference if you're starting to get more serious about it. If you find yourself in that situation... upgrade!



Down the road when you've got an itch to become a more agressive mountain biker or a more serious roadie, then upgrade.