I need a bike. Help!

Advice from Harvard Cycling alum, and bike mechanic Nathaniel Hoyt

First off, it sounds like you might need a bike. it can be tough to shop for a bike because there's lot of options and usually there's no clear better or worse bike, just trade-offs. since you're a new cyclist I'd really recommend finding a bike you could borrow for a while. cycling can be really expensive and new bikes don't hold their value well if you decide to sell it, so it'd be good to get out there on a few test rides to see if it's something that you like. just keep in mind, on those first couple rides, that you do get more used to sitting on a hard saddle and navigating hairy traffic situations. so try to get out there early in the morning, put some miles in, then eat an outrageous amount of food, and that'll give you a sense of what the sport is like.

if you need to shop for a bike, you need to know what kind of bike you want (road, mountain, gravel, etc.) and then decide on a budget. that'll limit your options somewhat and make it easier to pick. there are four main brands - Specialized, Trek, Cannondale, and Giant - that all sell their bikes exclusively through bike shops. there are also plenty of direct-to-consumer brands who often have really good value. buying a bike through a bike shop has the advantage of getting someone to help you decide, and potentially better long-term support. buying directly from a manufacturer sometimes means you save money. for direct sales, check out Diamondback, Fuji, or Raleigh. there are hundreds of bicycle brands, maybe thousands including custom builders.
don't sweat it if you're not ready to drop the cash on something new. you can always also just find something on craigslist and give it a good tuneup. the best bike, as always, is the one you've got, and in collegiate cycling nobody's judging you based on your ride.
if you want more specific advice on the differences between bikes and their components i am happy to help but i'll save that for another email. you will probably at the very least need to decide on what frame material you want (aluminum, carbon, steel) and whether you want to go with disc brakes or more traditional rim brakes. after those two considerations and with a budget in mind you probably won't have more than a few options.
whatever bike you get, it must fit you. there is little that can be done to make a bike work that is specc'ed out for more than a couple inches +/- of your height.

Besides the bike, you'll need a helmet. most clubs and all races require it, besides it just being a good idea. Massachusetts also requires lights for riding when it's not light out, which is hard to avoid.

As for non-equipment stuff, i am not a current rider so apologies if this is out of date. but if you are interested in racing, you will need a USAC license and a Harvard jersey. you'll also need to pay HUCA membership dues, but anyone is always welcome to join any of the rides that are posted. some rides will be listed as "no-drop," meaning that riders will periodically stop to regroup so that nobody gets left behind. you'll probably want to stick to those rides until you're stronger and more familiar with the routes. speaking of routes, you might want to download the Strava app and start following other HUCA folks to see what routes they use. that makes it a lot easier to avoid poor-condition or hostile roads.