As someone who also just got back into the cycling after many years away, I can't agree more with the recommendation to visit your local shops and try as many bikes (makes and models). There are so many differences between bike makers and bike types, and even within the same maker, within each model, that internet research can only do so much. I'll give a great example. I thought I wanted a certain type of bike as a "cheaper, ride around town and not freak out about it being stolen" bike. Read about several models on this forum that, just based on what owners have said, seemed to tick off all the boxes I was looking for. I tried those models and found out they were absolutely not for me. Nothing against the bikes, the riding position and how far apart my hands were just not what I was looking for. So online research and opinions are a great place to start, but be sure to ride before you make a decision. I now see bicycles like cars. Read the online reviews and get a feel for pricing...but I'd never buy a car without test driving it (and quite a few others in its class).