Great Lakes - new to the area

i just recently moved here from savannah, GA and i'm looking into getting into bicycling. i'm looking for a road bike that i don't have to sell an appendix for. maybe around the $300-400 dollar range would be the max i'd be willing to pay. i'm currently in merrillville, IN but i'm unsure if there are any bike shops in the area that sell bikes that cheap. i went to one and the cheapest road bike they had was about $900 bucks. does anybody have any advice on where to find a bike around this area? thanks in advance.
julian.

In that price range, I think a used bike is the best realistic option. The lowest end road bikes (aside from the Denali, which I do not recommend) usually start around $500 to $600 new. But you can still get some very decent used bikes if you look around. Some shops sell used. Check the classified ads and craigslist.

Agreed ... for a first road bike, used makes sense. New bikes are expensive, and there are too many options for a new rider to choose from. After you've ridden a used bike a little, you'll have a better idea of your preferences in a bike, and you'll be able to choose a better bike for you if you decide to upgrade. Plus you'd be able to resell the used bike for about what you paid for it - which does not work with a new bike.

Welcome to bikeforums. BTW the Classic & Vintage forum section is a good place to learn more about older and used bikes. There is a lot of good stuff out there at good deals, if you don't need to ride a carbon frame and the latest technology.

Welcome to the forums and the area. There are a lot of nice trails out here. If you want, the roads a little further south will let you open up, but beware of the midwest mountains. You can be riding up(hill/wind) in both directions.

torgrot

(aside from the Denali, which I do not recommend)

Be nice. Just because it's made out of lead is no reason to be dissing it. :D