Sup /n/iggas,

I need me a bike.
Getting fat. Want to negate that. Walking sucks. Can't run/jog cause my ankles crap out after 2 weeks. Loved riding bike as a kid(30 now) and a really fat friend(like 300+lbs) lost a shit load of weight by riding a bike. I want a new bike but I have some criteria and I know dick about bikes so here goes...
>I'm 6'2'. Long legs. Need something for my height.
>i want some gears.
>its going to be mostly ridden on the road/sidewalks but I don't want to be able to take it off the beaten path. Not mountain biking or anything like that but I want it to handle riding through a field or going off the road shoulder.
>reasonable price. I don't want to spend a mortgage payment on a bike but I know cost and quality usually go hand-in-hand. I'm think 300-400 is my max range.
>heres the kicker- I'd prefer American made. Or at least not Chinese made.
Help me out peoples