Hi there. I've x-posted this in the low-intensity forum because I wasn't sure where I'd get the best response. I'm very sorry if this is against ettiquette for the site. Also, if this has already been discussed, please send me a link to the thread - I tried searching and didn't find anything that answered my specific question.

Some background: I've been doing Atkins since January, have worked very hard and dropped 90 lbs. so far. I exercise for ~1 hour a day ever day - I lift weights (dumbbells, kettlebell, machines) 3 days and week and do some form of cardio the other 4 days. I very rarely take a day off, and even when I do I generally get in 20 minutes. In addition to the weight loss, through exercise I've managed to lower my resting heartrate from 92+ to under 60.

Here's my problem - I want to excercise in new ways to (1) keep from the monotony (hence the kettlebell - which is awesome, btw), and (2) to add things that challenge me more than walking, which doesn't do it for me like it did when I started. For this reason I'd really like to start using a (real, non-stationary) bike. But at this point I still weigh around 350 lbs, and I'm afraid that any bike I might buy would, basically, crumple beneath my weight. It's not like I want a super-light 10 speed or anything - just a mountain bike with multiple gears that I could use instead of my car when I run to the store, or just to ride for fun on streets and bike paths.

Can anyone recommend a sturdy bike that I could ride? I'd like to spend less than $1,000, preferably somewhere in the $350-$600 range if possible (but if more expensive options are my only options, I'd appreciate learning about them, too). If I'm too heavy for most anything, can someone please let me know around what weight I could start looking into getting a bike?

Thanks very much for any info-

-j.