I'm a little late noticing this thread, but for what it is worth, here's a resource which may help:
JonR offered some good advice about treating it like any other important purchase and doing your research. A great place for doing this research is
www.MTBR.com (Mountain bike review) and
www.roadbikereview (this includes hybrids and cruisers). Feed back on hundreds of bikes in all price ranges by people who have purchased and rode the bikes.
Good luck, you are about to embark on a journey that will last a lifetime!