A good all-around bike is the Trek 7.3 FX (I own an '09 7.2). It has flat handlebars and the hybrid upright seating position, but isn't a "comfort bike". You can get a back rack for it, but the flat bars don't make a front basket convenient (on any flat-bar bike, IMO).

The Fuji Absolute 4.0 looks comparable in a lot of ways (the "performance hybrid" moniker means it has some characteristics of a road bike -- for racing/touring -- and the upright position of the mountain/comfort bike).

The Giant Escape is a little more of a commuter bike, but looks like one of their best all-around bets. Or maybe the Via.

In general I would stick with one of those three brands -- they're the best quality you can get in the consumer market. As any aficionado should say, stay away from the DSB ("department store bike") specials. Even recognizable brands like Schwinn are basically cheap imports -- at best serviceable, but more trouble than they're worth for any serious cyclist.

If you're at all serious about your tris, though, I know by next year you'll want a dedicated road bike.

Thanks very much, dhartung!! Very helpful.

I've already done a tri on a hybrid, and though it really didn't bother me, that bike just wore out eventually and I gave it away. There are different ways to be serious about triathlon, - I'm only interested in staying fit, having fun, and beating my PR if possible. I'll never be elite anything so I don't stress it. The bike is the restful portion of the race! So I don't think I'll want to upgrade to a racing bike any time soon. I just want a bike I can do 1 or 2 sprint/oly tris a year on and put in an OK middle of the pack time, but that will stand me in good stead for more recreational purposes too.

(oh, my old bike was a DSB -- never knew that term! Thanks! Yeah, this time I want to go to a real bike shop and get a decent bike, properly tuned).

Also, is there any reason for me to get a women's bike? I've never liked them - the idea seems archaic. Is there actually a technical or physiological reason why they would be better for me?

I can't recommend any bikes because I don't shop for them. I've had a Giant Upland for over 15 years and I still ride it to work every day. My only complaint with it is that it's heavy. When I first got it, I lived in a second-story apartment and never rode it because it was a pain to carry up and down the stairs. So, if you're ever going to have to carry it much, think about weight.

I can make two other recommendations, though. If you're going to be riding it for any period of time, chuck the seat that comes with the bike and buy a saddle that's comfy. Your butt cheeks with thank you.

And I love love love my rear folding panniers. (I just bought a second one about a month ago, so now I can carry TWO bags of groceries home from the store. This has vastly improved my quality of life.) Stay away from handlebar baskets.

I know recumbents are stereotyped as bikes for old men, but the only reason they aren't more popular is because they're awesome. No, really; they're awesome. It is my understanding that they were banned from races by the U.S. Cycling Federation because they consistently beat upright bicycles in races. For this reason, I'm not sure how they would do in triathlons, but I took mine on the MS 150 once and nobody cared. I have toured on both recumbents and uprights, and recumbents are by far more comfortable. You can get a decent recumbent for $600. That's how I got my first recumbent. I was searching for a decent bike, and realized that for the same price as a decent upright, I could get a decent recumbent. If you get one, I recommend one with a short wheel base, because they will fit on any normal bike rack.

I think the frame geometry might be different for a women's bike beyond just a low top tube. My upright right now is a men's frame. The top tube is too high for me, but the distance between the seat and the handlebars is just right. It makes me nervous having the top tube so close when I stand over it. Anyway, I think the important thing isn't the gender of the bike, but how it fits when you ride it.

It got buried in there, but my main point is that recumbents are far more ergonomic/comfortable.

Touring or cyclocross bikes should fit your needs pretty well. That's what I ended up with earlier this year. My uses are: 1. Commuting, approximately 15-20 miles round trip each day; 2. Riding around town to bars, stores, etc.; 3. Long-distance (40 - 100 miles) recreational rides. And I like to go fast so my Trek 7.2 hybrid was just not cutting it anymore.

Bikes I looked at (limited by my freakishly short legs) included the Surly Cross Check, Surly Long Haul Trucker, and Bianchi Volpe. (There are a lot more options in the touring and cyclocross categories if you are not 5'1" with disproportionally short legs like me; I was limited to brands that made really small frames.) Like aniola, because of my short legs the bike is actually too tall for me for standover height, but is a good fit when I'm actually riding. My only option for a bike that wasn't too tall to stand over was to get one with 26" wheels rather than 700c (like the Long Haul Trucker) or to get a step-through/mixte frame. My hybrid is a step-through and I knew that wasn't what I wanted.

I found an '08 Bianchi Volpe at a bike shop, still unsold because it was the smallest size frame they make and kind of a hideous gold color, and got it for about $800, about $300 off list. I LOVE my bike. I have a rear rack on it for panniers and it is light and much zippier than my hybrid but also solid enough for Chicago potholes. The bike change from hybrid Trek to cyclocross Bianchi alone increased my average speed while commuting by 1-2mph immediately. I have a bike computer and track my rides so this is real data, not just a gut feeling.

Oh, re: a women's bike, it depends on your proportions. Typically, women have longer legs and shorter torsos than men and women's frame geometry is made to reflect that. Since I'm the opposite, women's bikes didn't really have a lot to offer me. I think the Volpe might be a women's bike (I've heard Volpe means vixen or fox in Italian) but I'm not sure. The best thing is to just go to your LBS and test ride everything. Whatever fits you will feel good right away, even if a few things still need tweaking.

That's interesting. This tall bike fits me better, but I have proportionately long legs. It's a racing bike from Panasonic in the early 90s (but I treat it like a commuter). Bikes must really be a case-by-case basis.

In general I would stick with one of those three brands

Those are good brands but there are lots of other good ones out there. Raleigh makes some good stuff again. I like Marin and they have performance hybrids as well.

Even recognizable brands like Schwinn are basically cheap imports

I gotta disagree with this... kind of. Schwinns that you see at department stores? Yes, this is true. Schwinns sold at bike shops? Incorrect. The parent company of Schwinn markets two distinct Schwinn lines, one for the cheap department store bikes, and one for bike shops (called Schwinn Select) that are as good as the Treks, Giants, etc.

I would look into a cyclocross or touring bike as aniola suggested. Hybrids are good, but you get a lot more positions on the handlebars with a cyclocross or tourer.

Another way you can go, if you have the room, is buy multiple bikes off Craigslist, so you can have one as a grocery-getter, one for sporty riding, one for cruising, etc. This is what I've done and I've managed to get several bikes for less than $500 (even with repairs & maintenance, maybe about $1000 total). That way you don't have all your eggs in one basket and if you decide you don't like a bike, just turn around and sell it on CL (maybe for more than you paid for it). My sis-in-law did this and marched up the ladder until her third bike which really meets her needs.

Oh... and "girls bikes" don't necessarily mean step-through frames anymore. If you get a girls bike in a sport model, it will most likely have a diamond frame.

All so helpful. Thanks.

True, Doohickie, I forgot about the Schwinn Select. Surly, as mentioned, is another good brand, a little less well known.

If you're going to be riding it for any period of time, chuck the seat that comes with the bike and buy a saddle that's comfy. Your butt cheeks with thank you.

Most casual riders think this, but the more you ride the less saddle you actually want. Still, changing saddles is pretty easy. Modern saddles -- for women first, then men later -- actually have a depression or gap in the middle to reduce pressure on personal bits.

Speaking of helpful, the following email just showed up in my inbox, so I thought I'd share with y'all:

There are a couple of basic fit points.
If your knees hurt your seat is probably too low
If your lower back hurts your seat is probably too high
If your hands are going numb you have too much pressure on them and need to raise your handle bars(stem)
If your feet are going numb it is because it is hot and they are swelling, loosen your shoes")
If your elbows hurt your reach is too far shorten the stem or move your seat forward
Line up the power portion of your foot with the center of the pedal axle by moving your seat forward or back, this will align your knees so they are not in front of your feet and you will be a machine;)
Long rides in wet shorts will make you very uncomfortable to the point of rash or worse, I always change my shorts midday wash what I was wearing and dry them for the next AM. With an extra just in case they are not dry by morning. I personally like baby powder others like cream use what works for you but be sure to use it before it is too late.
You will be sitting on your bumb all day and if you hurt it today, you will pay all week and possibly months!!
These are just a few things that I have figured out over the past 30 yes really OMG 30 years. I must be old

When I was a racing-obsessed kid, I could never understand why my mother moved her boat-anchor-heavy Brooks leather saddle to every new bike she got over the years. Now that I am a wiser adult with my own Brooks, I understand her devotion to her saddle.

You've heard the advice to "Spend good money on your shoes and your mattress; if you're not using one, you're using the other." To that list I would add a tensioned leather saddle, like a Brooks, Velo-Orange, Cardiff, or Selle Anatomica.

On the less-sporty, more practical end of the spectrum, other bikes to look at might be the Trek Belleville, Any of the Globe bikes (Specialized sub brand), and Public Bikes. Many come with racks, and all will readily accomodate racks & fenders and other practicalities.