Why did I get this particular bike? First of all, the ride is very comfortable, which is important to me since I'm biking not just for exercise but necessity. Whenever I ride a bike that requires me to bend over the handlebars, pretty soon my lower back starts sending me nasty notes. On this bike, I can easily sit up or even lean back, which takes the stress off my lower back. Also, the pedals being set forward of the saddle (rather than straight underneath) make it ergonomically even better for me
The handlebars are raised and swept back, helping my posture even more.
The frame is lightweight aluminum, which helps a lot. The Hardrock Specialized mountain bike I've been riding sporadically for 12 years is way too heavy for me, and ridiing it around town always felt like a chore. This bike moves fast.
It's got fenders and a chain guard -- good for those afternoon thunderstorms and for when I'm not wearing bike pants (which is, well, never!)
It's a three-speed, which for me is a bonus. I hated always trying to figure out which gear I should be in. Since the vast majority of my biking will be done around Boulder, I don't need to be a gear maven.
I've got it tricked out with a rack, collapsible side baskets, a large clip-on saddle back that can double as a purse (it's got shoulder straps), LED headlight and taillight, lock, water bottle & rack, replacement inner tube and the tools to fix a tire, and a few other goodies. Also got myself a basic helmet with visor.
I think I'm set. All told, with all the gear, it ran about $650.
Whadya think? Look through all the pictures above.