How do you know which bike to buy?

[fnfalman]

First I take into what sorts of riding I want to do then I begin to do research into those types of bikes and see which one a) seems to be the better performer, b) seems to be of good quality and c) check it out at the dealership to see if I like it & test ride. Prices aren't really a consideration because if I can't afford it, I wouldn't even bother to think about it in the first place. A few thousand one way or another don't mean squat if you're going to buy something you're not happy with.