Originally Posted by
avaserfi
I really appreciate all the help. Today (I think) we are going to go around town and check out the options and see what we like. Locally in stock we should see some Jamis, Specialized, Trek and Giant bikes. We will give some roadbikes a test ride and see if it is worth the money to us.
I poked around about building the bikes up out of curiosity and because I think it would be a fun project to learn from (never done it before). It doesn't really seem like building a bike at this price point is worth it financially (if I am wrong please correct me, I love a project and would like to learn more about bike building/repair), and I honestly don't know enough about bikes to pick every component in a competent manner, but could learn to save some money and learn valuable skills.
As far as Surly bikes go, I've never ridden one, but have heard many good things and I like their styling. I am hoping to try one out along the way.
In Specialized bikes, the Sectuer is their cheaper "endurance" road bike, that would be my first suggestion to try (my first suggestion in Specialized store). The Allez is their more "race" oriented bike, though as I mentioned at anything under $2k they do make sure it will be comfy enough for you average rider - I would definitely suggest the more stable geometry and handling of the Sectuer if you're planning hauling groceries and stuff like that.
If you're looking for a good deal, you might ask if they still have a Sequoia - that was Specialized's old (discontinued) "endurance road" model. If they're trying to get rid of one, you might find a good deal on it.
By all means, test ride other brands. Specialized is just what I'm familiar with, hard for me to give advice on brands I don't know about. :-) I would definitely suggest trying a Surly if you can find one!
It is just cheaper to buy a whole bike than to build a whole bike from scratch.
One thing would add - no matter what style of bike you get, the absolute, most important, #1 thing to remember when buying a bike is to buy a bike that's the right size. Whatever you do, don't let anyone talk you into a bike that's to small "but they came make it work" for you, or to big but "it was just such a good deal".