I know of a few shops that specialize in used/refurbed bikes. If you keep a look out you can buy a lot more bike used than you can new and cheep. I gave a friend of mine the same advice and he found a bike that would have sold new for over $2000, he got it for $500. The wheel set on it was worth $500! The bike had almost no miles on it either. There are deals to be found. You may check around and find a shop that deals in used bikes as well.