Looking to buy a bicycle for exercising and recreational activities, that will fit in a car Exactly like the title says :) Well, I know how to ride bicycles, and I know they have 2 wheels, pedals and some gears, but almost nothing more than that :)

Now, I want to buy a bicycle and was lost between the options available in the market. I don't want a professional bicycle and I'm not planning to race with it... all I want is a bicyle that I can use for exercising and recreational activities, and is more advanced than delivery-boys bicycles :)

One more thing, I have a saloon/sedan car, and I very much prefer if that bicycle can be fitted in the trunk (maybe one of those that can be folded)

I'm not looking for "Bicycle Buying Guide for Dummies" :) what I'm looking for is some guidance on what to look/ask for when I go hunting for a bicycle :)

Thanks in advance.
First off you will need to have a think about what kind of riding you want to do. For roads you'll want a touring bike, and for off road, a mountain bike. The key differences are:


Weight - riding rough trails and off road requires a strong frame. This will impact weight
Suspension - again, this adds weight, but can be essential on really rough terrain
Wheels and tyres - on the road smooth tyres require less effort, but off road you need grip


Then you'll want to find a good local bike shop (LBS) and ask about sizes. They will be able to advise on frame length, handlebars, seat type etc to suit you. 

EDIT as mentioned below - get a helmet!

For fitting in a car, as long as you can remove wheels (these days you can get all types of wheels with quick release mechanisms) you should be able to fit them. In a saloon car you may need to be able to drop back back seats.

At begineer level, you really don't need to think about much else as far as the bike is concerned, however you will want to get lights, a bike lock and other accessories such as a speedometer (maybe gps), water bottle, and also things like cycling gloves (your fingers can get very cold on a long ride) and cycling shorts (again, for a long ride, the padding can be very important!)