This is pretty awesome. Your cats overweight btw.
Anyone have a rec on a bike I can buy online or find locally that would be great just riding around town and paved trails for exercise? Don't want to blow the bank on something 1k+
From my experience buying a bike last year or so.
I'd be inclined to less recommend a specific bike, but instead to scope out your local bike shops, and determine which of those is the best, and pick one they sell.
Trek is US based, but as of then, basically no company makes steel or Aluminum frames in the US. you need to get carbon fiber to do that. (they may be assembled in the US. and I dont know if any company brought manufacturing back into the states post tariffs.)
there were several shops, I chose the wrong one. I chose the very local one, in town. small 1 man shop, new. "support local business" While there were two others, further away with 30year+ histories.
Providence bike, and Mystic Cycle centre, in the case you are in this area..
Local shop, was a giant pita to deal with. I had to call the guy repeatedly, when the bike was on pre-order. $1200 bike. shop offered free yearly tune-ups etc, with a new bike purchase, but he didn't actually ever tell me that. I just noticed a sign one day when I went in to buy some chain oil a few months after I got the bike.
Then, 6months after getting the bike, the shop closed, and moved 30miles away into downtown Norwich. No notification to customers. nothing on the website. only note was on facebook. which listed an new address. Which at the time wasn't even the correct address, as he was in the process of moving, and had a different temp location. got like a $100 gift card, never going to use, because i am not driving my truck into the city, with parallel parking to get work on my bike ever. owner is a giant flake, and terrible businessman.
So unless you are going to go full, build the bike/work on it yourself like these guys, I'd say vet the bike shop first.
Bike was a Trek ds4. I like it. but probably out of your price range.
My Dad has a Giant Cypress DX. its pretty comfortable. A fairly upright city/cruiser position. comfy seat. very nice for a relaxed ride.
Cypress DX (2020) | Men Comfort bike | Giant Bicycles United States
I've been considering getting one of these, for the relaxed 8-10mph rides with the parents.