Time for a Bike?

Last night, I spent some time looking on Craigslist for bicycles. I found a few that look interesting, though I'm not quite sure how I judged them. I haven't ridden a bike in years and I'm not quite sure what I'm looking for. Something suitable for "leisure" riding, rather than conquering mountains or reaching maximum speed, is probably suitable for me.

I found a Univega Hybrid that looks interesting. The seller suggests it is "every bit the equal of the Trek's and Raleigh's and other well known brand hybrid bikes of this time period." Reading further, I found that "this time period" is approximately 1996. The seller says it is equipped with "Shimano 21 speed set up having 7 gears in the rear and a triple up front." Whatever that means.

The seller is asking $175; the bike (or one like it) supposedly was $429 new (in 1996). The asking price sounds a bit high to me, for something older than my old Ford Ranger...and the bike has no bed, no engine, and no heater or AC.

But I'll see. I still have 30 pounds to lose. If I'm going to get six-pack abs and add three inches to my height, I have to do something.