help this big chicken buy a bike.

[girlwithaspirin]

Hey all. I've been poring over the threads here for a couple weeks now. I was all set to buy a hybrid, and now I'm confused.

Here are the details:

*I live in Chicago.
*I'm in horrible shape.
*Until I get into reasonable shape, my riding will be limited to city streets.
*Traffic scares the crap out of me.
*I feel weirdly vulnerable on your typical road bike. Maybe it's the skinny tires? The riding position? Or maybe I'm just not used to them.

For all those reasons, I'm drawn to the upright nature of the hybrid. BUT... how heavy are they? I have a Trek 820 that seems to weigh 200 pounds. Please tell me it's not considered light.

I need some reward early on, or it'll be tough for me to turn cycling into a passion. I'd rather get excited about it, and if I have to buy another bike in a year or two, so be it. So what's my best choice? A road bike? A cyclocross? Oh, and what's an urban bike? I have a great LBS near me, but I want to go in with some knowledge.

Thanks so much!

Kathleen