Hi Breana, welcome to the board. What area of NY are you from? When you go to the bike shops, ride every bike you can. hybrid and road. Ride and ride until you think you like some bikes, so you can narrow your selection. Ride some more. Ask questions. What terrain will you be riding will also factor. I ride a road bike even though I will never race. Its easier to roll down the roads (less tire on pavement). I ride anywheres from 18 miles to 100 miles depending on day, time frame, or if there's an event. Good luck shopping and have fun. If you find a bike that you really love, and it's alittle more expensive than what you had planned, ask yourself if you can justify the money in the long run. My first bike, i bought an in between road bike, wasn't sure if i would like riding, would i ride my bike that much and thought i better not spend the extra money just in case. 2 years later, i bought the bike that i probably should've bought the first time. once you start, you can't stop.