Welcome, I am a fellow newbie (3 years this Mother's Day) as well. Even if you aren't spending much $$ on a bike, you still need to try it out first. Every brand has entry level bikes, and they aren't all the same. I saw the Bianchi it was so pretty and a great price, but then I road it and found that it didn't fit my mechanics at all. I tried out 7 different bikes, and took home a Giant OCR 3. Bike shops are great with letting you ride the bikes in their parking lots. Even if you don't know anything yet, your body will tell you alot pretty fast.

Good luck and happy cycling.

Jen L