Welcome to the forum! Great bunch of ladies here with really good ideas and advice. I'm a new rider too, and am also shopping for bikes. So far, the Trek 1200 is my bike of choice too! I'm going to look at Bianchi this weekend before I decide for sure. BikeMomma's advice on getting a trainer is right on. I have a trainer in my garage (w/ CD player, no TV) and it can be a little boring, but it's great to have. The first year I started riding again I not only couldn't get up the slightest hill, but I couldn't even stand up on the pedals. I practiced over the winter on the trainer and kicked butt on my challenge hill (which isn't much, but was more than I could do the year before) in the spring. 20-30 minutes a few times a week does make a difference. Don't push too hard at first because it's supposed to be fun! Enjoy and it will get better and better.