Welcome aboard!
I was recently shopping for bikes for friends. I was very impressed with the FX line from Trek. Good value, good components and lighter weight than the competition.
Did you look at the 7.5? I'm only asking because I've had several friends who are upgrading pretty fast because they didn't buy a better bike to begin with. It will cost more in the long run. Plus, this time of year you may be able to get a good price on a 2006 model.