What bike to get the boyfriend?
I'm purchasing a bike for my boyfriend who hasn't been on one since he was a kid and I'm having a hard time deciding what kind to go with.
There's a <50 mile used Jamis Ventura Sport on sale for $550 nearby, but I can't really figure out if going straight to an entry level road bike is a good idea or not.
The other bikes I'm considering are new:
Kona Dew Plus for about $500 bucks
or a Marin 29er Muirwoods for $680.
I imagine that he'd be more comfortable and apt to ride the hybrids than the Jamis (initially anyway-- roadbikes aren't particularly comfortable for a beginner) but I can't help but think he'd eventually like the road bike! It's probably just wishful thinking and perhaps I shouldn't bank on hope. The other option was to find him a cyclocross bike, but I'd probably have to go used to get one for the right price and it's not always easy finding something like that locally.
Anyway, thoughts? Do you have any other suggestions for ~$500-$600 bucks?