$200 will get you a pretty nice refurbished bike from the 70s or 80s around here. Used parts are abundant and cheap. Unless you are racing the weight doesn't make a huge difference. Especially as you are just starting out.
That describes my bike perfectly. '86 Trek. I love the thing, but I don't exactly have a lot of experience to rate it against. All of my other bikes were either mountain bikes or Xmart specials. Great for what they were. But not something I'd want to ride every day to work.
of course, I realize I do things wrong by taking advantage of the speed my bike can get. I put the smallest tires I could easily find on them and have been having a blast with how easy hills are. Probably not the safest riding on the planet, but I have learned not to overtake cars if I can avoid it now.
