I could pick apart a lot of this questionable advice but let me just say this instead: in my experience, those who try to get into cycling with a very pragmatic

I could pick apart a lot of this questionable advice but let me just say this instead: in my experience, those who try to get into cycling with a very pragmatic and cynical approach -- get a cheapo inefficient bike, don't take care of it, expect it to be stolen -- tend to not stick with it. Get a bike that you want to ride, whatever that may be. Maybe it's a hot road bike or maybe it's a gnarly mountain bike or an artsy low-rider.. whatever floats your boat. If nothing floats your boat, just ride something for a little while and you'll figure out what you want. But if your bike isn't fun to ride then you won't ride it. Also, get the best lock money can buy. If it's better than most other locks, and you use it religiously, and your bike is not studded in diamonds, it probably won't get stolen. And if you feel any inclination to become some variety of bike nerd, don't hold back, because that makes things a lot easier. It really doesn't take much mindshare.