jazzy_cyclist

I'll second DenverFox's post: style, fit, frame, and components. One of the issues with this forum is that sometimes (particularly with this question - it comes up a lot), the respondents have very definite opinions which can be a little misleading because someone like you (or me a few months ago) lacks the perspective to know what's fundamental and what's not.

My insights: road bikes are more and more commoditized - if you go with one of the well known brands (Trek, Cannondale, Giant, LeMonde, etc.), you'll find that they are competitive. It is very unlikely that you will buy a "lemon" or "get taken for a ride" if you go to a few LBS'es (local bike shops) and spend some time talking to them about your needs - you will get the picture fairly quickly about the major parameters. Honestly, as with a lot of consumer items, you probably won't know what your "dream bike" is until you have ridden a modern road bike for a while to find out. People here tend to argue a lot about frame material (aluminum, steel, carbon fiber, titanium) and components, but a lot of this is pretty subjective. For example, a lot of folks say that "aluminum frames yield a harsh ride", but others will consider this "responsive". So listen to what others say, but you're the one that's going to ride it, so you should spend as much time as you can just testing out different bikes. At this stage of the game, you should probably be more interested in how the bike feels when you ride it, turn, stop, than in whether you'll be able to edge out Lance in a duel up Alpe D'Huez because his components are a few grams lighter. You can always upgrade components. Make sure that you get the right size and are fitted properly, because this would be the toughest thing to live with if you don't.

In my case (I'm 53, haven't ridden a roadie in a long time - just a mtb), I knew I wanted to spend about 1K. I looked at Trek, Specialized, and Cannondale. Most models in my range were aluminum frames with carbon fiber forks (cf absorbs shocks). Carbon fiber or Ti frames are another click up in price. I rode them all, and while I would notice more differences now, at the time they all seemed similar. I thought the Cannondale was the most responsive and that felt good to me, so I went with that. It has Shimano 105 components which have functioned flawlessly so far.

One thing that you do want to think about (which I did not) is whether you pick a "double" or "triple". This refers to the chainrings (the gears on the front). The standard is a double (two chain rings), but they also make triples (three chain rings). The main advantage to a triple is that it has a very low gear (sometimes called a "granny gear") which you would use to go up steep (or long hills). If you live or plan to bike in a hilly/mountainous environment, you should consider a triple. If you're a flatlander, a double would be more appropriate. I live in a hilly place (not mountainous), so the double is okay, and pushes me to work on my climbing.

As this is the end of the model year, you may find some good prices now on '04 models. Also, you'll end up spending additionally on helmets, pedals, shoes, water bottle cages, pumps, tubes, patch kits, etc.

Finally, I took a "basic repair" course at the LBS which was well worth it. I won't be building wheels anytime soon, but I can do most of the basic adjustments, change a flat, etc. now.

Have fun!