Originally Posted by
joe_5700
Schrutefarms if you do go the used route, will you know which frame size will fit you? I would rather have a new Shimano 2300 bike than a Shimano 105 bike that did not fit me. If this is your first road bike, make sure it FITS and go to a LBS and have them help you find a bike in your budget. Of my 3 bikes, my Jamis was the best value at $450 new. It can do everything that I can on my other bikes. I have even raced on it, and it didn't hold me back one bit. An entry level bike is not a waste of money in my opinion unless you upgrade it. Don't. Just keep riding your entry level bike and save up for your next bike. Keep your first bike and use it as your rain bike. I would also opt for a compact double unless you live in a very hilly region. The Fuji Newest 3.0 is a triple and I cannot recommend a triple.
http://www.jamisbikes.com/usa/thebik...turasport.html
Lots of good advice here. Also in the entry-level pricing area, Cannondale Synapse and CAAD8, Felt Z100, and a host of others, almost all of the major manufacturers have a Sora/Tiagra bike in the 700-1000 range. In the end the components on all of them will be approximately the same, the biggest differences will be in the frame design and colors. Ride as many different bikes as possible, one of them will speak to you.