Hi, I'm new to the forum and to bike riding. I'm looking to buy my first bike in over 20 years. I'm 35 yrs old, 5'2, and out of shape, and I want to rid for fitness, leisure, and commuting in a suburban area with some hills.

Today I went around to LBSs and tested out three bikes. They all felt the same and are around the same price (within about $60). I've looked at the specs online and that only made things more confusing. Can anyone help me make sense of the jargon?

These are the three bikes:
Norco VFR 4
Norco Indie 4
Trek 7.2 WSD

Any suggestions? Opinions?