I was in the exact same situation a few months ago when I bought my first road bike. I was on the verge of making a purchase on BD until I made a few visits to LBS's. I didn't know how much I would like sora components vs higher end stuff. I was able to ride them all from sora all the way up to Dura Ace. This gave me a really good feeling of where I wanted to end up vs. my budget because I actually had things to compare with such as shifting speed, “crispness”, and ease. I ended buying a 2008 from a shop with 105 and ultegra mix. You can also negotiate on prices a bit at an LBS, especially on older models. IMO, having knowledge about the components is also key when dealing with the staff. At least knowing the range of component sets makes it a lot easier to talk about the bike and prices comparisons.