If possible - I suggest going to a couple of different shops to try different brands. I started out on a hybrid - a GT I think- 10 yrs ago - road every weekend 10=25 miles on it with friends and commuted during the week. At that time I paid around $200 for it and thought I had lost my mind. then it got stolen about three yrs ago and I replaced it with another hybrid (raleigh) that had front shocks (totally unnecessary for my riding - not bad just heavy). I recently bought a road bike that I love and ride all the time now except for commute where I need my rack, fenders, lights, etc.

The shops around here all carry different brands - some have trek, some have giant, some have specialized etc - but none have more than two-three brands. Fit and feel is different in each brand I thought - so if you can ride more than one brand - you might like one over the other in the same price range. You also might find you like one shop over another - useful info when you need tuneups, your next bike etc.