I second (or third) the cross bike suggestion. Especially for a first bike. If you commute around town, or just ride in town, it's probably the best choice. You can still have drop bars, STI shifters, and tall gearing. The wheelsets you can use however, are much better suited even to the occasional offroading. I prefer 30/32 700C's for around town use, but switch to a traditional road wheelset for weekend rides. You can't do that with most "road" frames.