So, I'm trying to decide between two bicycles...

You want a cross bike, something that can be used around the city on a regular basis and also can be taken on light trails. It might be a bit more expensive than a basic mountain bike. Something like this would serve you well: http://www.bikesdirect.com/products/..._cross_cx2.htm

Then go for the cruiser. That mtb is a pile of crap on wheels, and you'll hate riding it around the city.

I'm not jiving the tube angles on that mtb. Not liking the cruiser idea. The bikes are polar opposites.

I'd say cyclocross. Gives the upright feel of a roadie with the weight and strength of a mtn bike. Can be used easily in both situations. Price will be tough to find though. I'd say craigslist.

You guys know that cyclocross bikes are meant for a particular kind of racing right? I like my cross bike--and it would be better for this guy than a time trial bike--but it is not the best for around town errands and some light trails. The geometry is still going to be tight and cross bikes aren't particularily smooth off road (in a full-blown cross race, you aren't really concerned about comfort). A touring bike might be a little closer to what he wants...slacker geometry, racks, room for fenders and bigger tires (a lot of cross frames barely clear 35mm as it is the max legal size...mine are only 28mm). It isn't really trail material though but with some 35+mm tires and a little more upright position, you would be fine. Maybe the best option would be something like that schwinn with an internal hub to give some lower/higher gearing for the hills. I had a crappy 3-speed (stolen on my birthday...) and it was just right for rolling around the neighborhood. The schwinn probably isn't worth the money but something similar with a 3 (or 7/8) speed internal hub would be great.

You're absolutely right about the cross bike being a tighter bike. I actually hadn't thought about this as my regular bike now is a road bike, so I'm sort of used to the geometry.

I used to own a Specialized Sirrus, which was a great all around town bike, and it also could accommodate tires up to 35mm. Too bad it's not a cheap bike, though -- the base one is $520 (although you could get a 10-15% discount easily, and even more at the end of the season).

Of course a cyclocross is for a specific purpose. But the bikes he asked about were completely opposite. The compromising factor is a stiffer ride, which is easy to get used to and better imo.

You may also want to consider hybrid bikes. They're a cross between road bikes and mountain bikes. They're both faster and more rugged than cruisers.

If you're willing to do a little research and buy used, you can get a much better bike for your buck by looking on your local craigslist or checking for bike co-ops in your area.

yeah, get a hybrid bike. that's the first thing i thought of when i read your topic.

Only problem with hybrids is that they often come with a lot of bad parts and aren't nicely assembled by the high-volume shops that sell them (due to the fact that they are usually sold to consumers who weren't smart enough to go do some research online first).

I like the idea of a used bike--I am not sure where to look in long island but there are a lot of places where you can get a semi-reconditioned 3-speed for less than that schwinn. For half the money, you could have something that was several steps above the schwinn in quality and probably hasn't been ridden that hard.

Key things you want to look for:
-alloy rims (steel is heavy and doesn't stop well...rotational weight matters more than total weight)
-fresh brake pads (they dry out...the bike that someone bought 30 years and never rode may be in perfect condition but you may need to spend $5 to get some generic pads made with rubber from *this* millenium)
-other "consumables" should be good too (cables/housings and tires can get old...but they are an easy and cheap replacement).
and last but not least:
-proper fit.

Most bike coop type places should be able to help you out with the first 3...they typically replace anything that is too old (and would be happy to do the service for a little extra $ on anything they have not done). The final one is on you--test ride and make sure its comfortable.

If it's not marked on the rim then I don't know how you would tell without going down to the bike store and examining the difference with the help of a sales person. Bike fit is by far the most important factor to consider. You could spend thousands of bucks on a bike that is the wrong size and hate it after a few rides. Unfortunately, in your price point there are not a lot of quality bikes. Go to a good bike store, pretend to be a buyer, find out what you want, what fits you, and then look for similar stuff used on craigslist. You need some more knowledge before you should buy used online, and a good bike store is the best place to ask questions about bikes.