Things to think about
- a hybrid will be what you want if you want to commute (rather than race or go off road)
- if you are going somewhere with hills, get as many gears as possible. Truth be told, it's much nicer to have lots of gears anyway, even if you are somewhere flat.
- go for a decent second hand bike over a bottom-end-of-the-market new bike, if you have a low budget (what is your budget?)
- make sure you get a bike that fits you - anything that doesn't fit will be uncomfortable and inefficient to ride
- Halfords are notorious for having crap products and staff that don't know the first thing about bikes. Support your local independent bike shop instead - you'll get better service and a bike that actually works for you
- buy a D-Lock, not one of these wispy cable things. Otherwise, it will get stolen.