Anyone suggest a good bike for a newbie?

So.. I have not been a bike since I was in the early teens. I want to ride again!! I weigh 210 and most of my weight is the lower belly. ( panni) I want a bike that will support my size, be comfortable and allow me to get a nice start on riding. Any suggestions?

Great!

What kind of riding do you want to do?  It will help determine the right bike.
Putter around town
Off road
Some of both
Racing
Endurance riding
Commuting to work
or
All of the above


I suggest something from Craigs list, a garage sale or check with your local cycling club.
It's a more inexpensive way to get started.  Lots of money can be spend getting into cycling.

Once you have ridden for a while and have a better idea what kind of riding you want to do, you can focus on a specific style or make/model of bike.

All of the big name brands make quality bikes
Trek, Specialized, Giant, Felt, Cervelo, Pinnarello, Orbea, just to name a few and I'm sure I'm missing some, not for lack of quality, but just because that's what I can pull out of my pea brain right now.

 At 210, you won't need a special bike. They are all built to handle riders of that size.

So it's just a matter of what kind of riding you want to do like Scott said.

I recently bought a Giant Escape 2.  It's a hybrid, 23 speed. It's a very easy ride, very comfortable.  It's great for pave or smooth trails which is what we have mostly in FL.   My husband got one as well.