No, you don聮t want a mountain bike for around-town riding. The thing probably weighs as much as you do. Fortunately there are lots of nice, fast hybrids out there.
Bianchi Boardwalk Bike
Boardwalk BikeMarin聮s Novato (marinbikes.com), for instance, has a light aluminum frame, fast tires mounted on 26-inch wheels, and smooth-shifting Shimano running gear. And it聮s only $529. It聮s available in a 13-inch frame size, which should be about right for you.
Scott聮s Sub 30 Classic (scottusa.com) offers a very similar frame/running gear combination, for just a few bucks over $500. Its 700C wheels might offer a little less rolling resistance, although they might also be a little too tall for you. The Sub 30 comes in a 聯small” frame size, plus larger ones.
Lastly, there聮s Bianchi聮s spiffy Boardwalk ($500; bianchiusa.com). It opts for SRAM shifters, an increasingly popular and very functional choice. And while its frame is aluminum, the front fork is steel. That results in a smoother ride than the aluminum forks on the Marin and Scott bikes, although it also adds a touch of weight. Plus, I love to say 聯Bianchi.” Try it! Bee-awn-kee. Then say, 聯Un bicicletta e molto favoloso!” Isn聮t that fun?
Anyway, try to find a shop that has at least two of these bikes (or something similar聴in this price range all hybrid bikes are very similar) and give them a spin. If you really intend to mostly ride around town, then ask the shop to swap out the tires for something a little skinnier. The Scott and Marin bikes both come with relatively chubby 700X32 tires. 700X28 would be better.
Ciao!
Check out 国产吃瓜黑料聮s picks for the . They all share one basic feature: fun!