Brand spanking new rider question:

I would eventually like to ride a century, and I'm looking into figuring out how much the gear should reasonably cost me. From what I've been reading, $1000-$1200 would probably be reasonable for the bike (would it?). How much would the rest run me? I can't go too overboard, but I don't want to go cheap and regret it later.

Any recommendations on what bike brands would be a good value for the price range I'm looking at? I'm short, probably wanting a women's design, and I had neck surgery a few months ago. As long as I'm careful and aware, the neck shouldn't pose any problems, but I just don't want to get a bike that will strain it. I know that ultimately, it'll be a matter of trying the different options out, but I thought I'd try to get a feel for what's out there ahead of time.

Thanks!