for making the decision and taking steps to alter a lifestyle that is no longer right for you. i too am very new to the world of bicycles, and it can be very intimidating-even frustrating. i have been very lucky, but have done alot of reading, test rides, etc.. i have a cannondale mountain bike which is a hard-tail, but i opted for a thudbuster seatpost which helps ALOT!! i also am getting into recumbents- they are great for anyone in any condition- much lower to the ground-translation-not so far to fall- and you will fall-if you are riding hard. it is alot of fun, but you really need to make sure that the bike you purchase is high quality. i don't want to insult you or imply anything but the rans tailwind holds up to 275lbs- from what i have read. see www.rans.com- the bike is fairly affordable as recumbents go and the seats are very wide and unbelievably comfortable-even on longer rides. these bikes are easily fitted with upgrades that will allow you to keep up with and even pass people on upright bikes-it is a cool feeling. i am hoping to build up my speed eventually also-right now I am just enjoying getting my heart rate up, sweating and focusing on riding instead of normal every-day stresses. I wish you the best in your search and keep us posted on what you decide on- congrats again...
=) jmh45