Originally Posted by bikemig

There are so many bikes you could choose from as all the posts to your question attest to. That said, you might want to think about the following:

(1) Do you want to deal with a French? There are lots of great French bikes but they are different and parts can be harder to find. The easiest bikes to deal with are bikes from American and Japanese manufacturers. There is a lot to be said in favor of vintage Treks. They are easy to work on, well made, and have terrific paint jobs.

(2) Do you want a racing bike or something a little more forgiving (i.e., which can take a little fatter tire)? Here is a thread on this topic, Show your classic sports touring bicycle

Personally my vote would go for a vintage Trek or Cannondale sports touring but a high end Japanese bike would also be a superb choice for a first vintage road bike.