What is your price range? and what are the bikes that people recommended to you?
Road bikes are pretty awesome but what is good and what is not, is highly subjective.
Most entry level bikes from Fuji to Trek to GT to Cannondale are all good bikes. They typically come equipped with the same equipment as others bikes in their price range. For example, a Giant with Sora is roughly in the same range as a Trek with Sora. If you know what size bike you want than you can always look at the retail sellers. Fuji's from Performance are great buys depending on your price range.
Anyway, give us your price range and the bikes that you are looking at, as well as your size and I bet that you will get some excellent recomendations on this board.