If you don't have much experience with road bikes, it might be hard for you to judge the quality and condition of a used bike. Look for a bike shop in your community that sells used bikes. Several stores in my neighborhood take in used bikes as trades, re-condition them, tune them up, and stand behind them after the sale. Sometimes a nice older road bike, often with some dings and signs of age, is available for $200 or $300. And, a good $200 bike from 1986 or so can be a better riding bike than some of the "new" $600 or $800 road bikes of 2006.