Do you have an REI near you? They have their own brand (Novara) bikes and I've seen some road bikes there for fairly cheap ($400-500). Almost all their components are Shimano too, so you know you're getting something fairly good, even though the price is low. They also have some very expensive Novara bikes, but I have seen lower priced models. Can't hurt to check it out, especially now when everyone seems to be moving out the old to make room for the '07 stuff.