A year ago I would have told you you were nuts. My fiance would go ride while I was playing golf and that seemed like a really good setup. Here we are, a year later, with multiple friends already taking the hobby on and now I'm pretty convinced I should. So, first thing is the bike. I would like something that is good enough that it helps me like the sport, but my budget is probably in the $1500 range with the idea that if I truly like doing it and do it enough, I'll upgrade quickly if I want to. The brands most accessible to me are Trek, Cannondale, and Specialized. Anybody have any pieces of advice or knowledge for me as I equip myself?