So true. I have a really nice road bike, but I'm not that comfortable on it. My stomach makes it uncomfortable to ride hunched over, so I mostly sat up on it, and it's just not designed for that. Plus I've just never been such a great bike rider, and I've had some bad wipeouts. I started getting a real mental THING happening around biking.
I just bought a "comfort bike" from REI; it's a sitting-up bike, and I easily put a foot on the ground as needed. I'm really enjoying riding it. I think it was $300 well spent.