Hi Thomas,
First of all, welcome to the world of Cycling.
Now considering you are new to Cycling, first you should learn about the main types of Cycles out there and that should help you choose the one most suitable for you.
For keeping it simple, lets take the most popular ones.
1. Road Bike - The Road Bike is for the City and such..
2. Mountain Bike - As the name says, for the rugged use on Mountains.
3. Hybrid Bike - Combination of Road Bike + Mountain Bike + some more
If you are unsure about which one to choose, I would say go with the Hybrid bike.
The Hybrid bikes are usually light weight with thinner wheels and smoother tires which are borrowed from the road bikes and the flat, straight handlebars and upright seating posture are from the mountain bike.
I have a couple of hybrid bikes reviewed for my blog readers. I hope it helps you too, if you like to read them head over here :
http://www.cravingride.com/
Let us know about your adventures Thomas!