>>956855Okay, but using up 30 posts of this thread for bike buying when it's that's nearing 300 is uncool to the people that want this to be around for awhile.
You aren't going to learn what bike you want without going for a shop and test riding some. They are all subtly different in terms of price, speed, position, comfort, geometry, and most importantly, components.
If buying new: you want to get something from a good brand that has a lifetime warranty. This includes Giant, Cannondale, Trek, and Specialized. They all make road bikes for <1000. An example is the Giant Defy.
If used: Brand doesn't really matter since you arent getting any sort of warranty and you dont know if the components are what normally comes with the frame. You're looking for something functional and suitable. The main disadvantage of buying used is that you have to get sized at a bike shop first so you know roughly what size frame you need. Different brands have different sizing charts so you'll have to test ride anything for a long time before you buy it. You can always post on the bike buying general when you have a specific bike that you're thinking about going to look at.
If you haven't ridden a bike for a long time I recommend going towards something advertised for comfort instead of racing. This is typically what defines a new road bike as entry level besides the price.
