I'm going to buy my first serious road bike this spring, as a little reward to myself for doing so well with commuting by bike and getting in shape and quitting smoking over the last year.

After a bit of research, I think I like the Cannondale Sport Road 500 a lot. The price isn't too steep, and it looks like a pretty versatile bike. It can take a rack and fenders for longer rides (some weekend trips to New England are in the works), the gearing looks pretty wide, and the geometry looks pretty comfortable.

Any thoughts? Or ideas about other bikes in the same price range I should be looking at?

Thanks, everyone.