If you're in Tempe, I'm on the other corner of Phoenix.

I did the same thing I think you want to do - buy a cheap bike with cheap components and learn to fix things as they break. The ultimate goal being trading out the junk in a year or so for quality. I'm now kind of regretting this decision. I wish I would have spent a month reading and learning rather than a week because I would have handled the situation differently. I was impatient though, so here I am.

I would watch craigslist for awhile, there's also azfixed.com which is a local fixed message board - it moves kind of slow, but every now and then bikes get posted up there. There's also a used bike/trade-in store in Tempe, if you haven't walked in there, I'd recommend it. Every now and then they post their bikes on craigslist and they don't look too bad.

Whatever you do, make sure you're content with your final decision. People on the internet will probably make fun of your first bike - such is life. People in real life will probably also make fun of it. At the end of the day, no one really gives a **** about your bike but you, so if you're pleased with it, then great. Just ride the thing and **** the haters.