Best bicycle for a moderate to extremely hilly suburbs? I've moved to an area that's notoriously hilly. I had gained a lot of weight but managed to ride it off by cycling in a well built but extremely faulty and wastefully heavy chinese bike. The gears gave me the hell (those shitty gears that force you to turn them like a motorbike) and riding up a hill was extremely difficult. I've busted it up by now so this time I plan on asking some experts on which bike I should get.


I'm slightly over weight.
Smoked a bit (stopped) so need to get in shape.
I live in a hilly area so gears matter.
I don't trust bike stores here.


Please just need general over all advice on what type of equipment should be loaded up on my future bike to make my ride easier.
If you're after just a rough outline, I've listed the below: 


Type of bike: Do you think you'll ride on-road or off-road too, i.e. would you need a road bike or a mountain bike? It is possible to get a hybrid bike, which is essentially just a mountain bike without shocks and road-appropriate tyres
Gears: Most modern bikes these days will have gearing of up to 11sp on the cassette in the rear. You'll also often have the choice of up to 3 chain-rings ion the front. Smallest ring in the front and largest gear in the back makes for easier hill-climbing.
Brakes: If it is very hilly and you'll want to have good stopping ability, disc brakes would definitely be a good call.  


Most importantly, when you sit on or ride the bike, it should feel right and it must be comfortable.  Most bike shops will let you do a test ride.  Go around the block a couple of times and make sure you are comfortable and can work the gearings easily.  

Don't spend more than you want to. It is really easy to spend many thousands and thousands of $'s on a bike.  Set a budget and stick to it as far as possible.