Road Cycling - Advice for my first road bike Please!

I would like to buy a road bike, but I know absolutely NOITHING about them. Heres the situation, I have been doing some short triathlons last summer as well as this summer, but I have been using my mountain bike, and it just doesn't seem efficient. I found this used Fuji Pulsar roadbike (about 10 years old) for $100 canadian. any insight onto this purchase would be helpful. I am a starving university student, hence the reasoning why I do not have hte cash for a good bike right now.
Thanks :D

Originally posted by Andrea
I would like to buy a road bike, but I know absolutely NOTHING about them... :D

This statement speaks volumes. Most importantly, you must look the frame over with a microscope, inspect every joint and juncture for ripples in the frame material, cracks in the paint or corrosion.

Now grab a Performance Bike Catalog and flip through the components pages while paying attention to prices on replacement parts. How does the bike look to you as you imagine replacing a worn out drivetrain or other components?

Two more thoughts, pick the bike up off the ground a few inches and drop it on it's tires, listen for clunks and rattles that would indicate worn bearings

-and-

hold the front brake on and rock the bike for and aft, again listen for unusual sounds and see if you feel any play that could indicate worn parts or an ovalized head tube.

If you can, get someone with more knowledge to help you look it over, you might have the deal of the year or you may be getting dealt.

maybe you can find another starving university student trying to unload a bike. post on a board at school or at the local bike shop in town. just make sure it fits you.

I know absolutely nothing about the Fuji Pulsar, so it would help if you could find out a little about the components [what make an model does it say on the rear derailleur?] and frame [is there a label on the seat tube that says "Columbus SL" or "Reynolds 631?"]. What kind of condition is it in? How does it ride? Does it fit?

If it does not fit, it won't be worth the price, even if it's $25.

If it does fit, and it's in good consition [no rust, clean components, etc.], $100 [that's @ $60 US, for you Americans] could be a steal. In principal, Fuji has made some very fine bikes over the years. If it's ten years old, it probably has rear-indexed, seven-speed components with downtube shifters. There's a good chance it has Suntour Superbe components, which are very nice.

Of the guys I ride with, one of them has a mid-late-80s Guerciotti that he loves and another has a 1989 Concorde that he loves more than his 2001 Trek 2300. [BTW, if anyone wants to buy a lightly used 2001 Trek 2300, let me know.] Both are seven speed bikes and both work very, very well.

Get us more information; take the bike for a spin... and let's see if we can get the price down to $75-$80, so you can buy us a round at the next beer bash.

On your MTB, are you using narrow 1" slick tyres and aerobars ? These, together with a set of larger chainrings can turn a decent MTB into quite a good road bike not very much money.

Sorry for my negligence, the others that said fit is of the utmost importance are spot on, if the bike doesn't fit it's not worth a plug nickel.