first road bike purchase advice

Hi Christie,

First, welcome to BT.  Congratulations on starting your training. 

There are a lot of good entry level bikes available.  Trek makes good bikes, as do Cannondale, Giant and several others.  A lot will depend on your budget. 

Visit your local bike shops and tell them what your plans are and your approximate budget.  Don't forget to figure in the cost of a good helmet (a necessity),  & some bike clothes (padded shorts, etc.).  If your budget can handle it, I would also strongly suggest that you consider a pair of bike shoes and clipless pedals - they will make a huge difference in your riding. 

One of the most important (if not the most important) considerations in selecting a bike is fit.   Make sure the people at the bike shop take care in doing this, and aren't just trying to sell you what's on their shop floor.  This topic is discussed here quite frequently, so you may want to scroll back through some of the previous posts.

I'm not sure if I agree with the advice in the previous post about buying an "upgradable" bike.  Other than adding clipless pedals or aerobars, my experience is that there's little to be gained in terms of performance or reliability and it makes more economic sense to save your money towards the eventual purchase of a higher-end bike.  Most of the manufacturers do a good job of matching the frame and the components to start with.  Just my opinion.

Again, welcome and good luck.

Mark 

1. Get familiar with the various road bike brands and models as well as components by reading as much as possible on them and asking lots of questions here and on cycling forums.

2. Make a list of all the bike brands that interest you and that are available in your local bike shops (lbs)

3. Visit each shop and test ride the various brands and models that fall within your price range

4. Ask lots of question to assess both the bikes and lbs staff

5. When you have decided on a specific bike, remember the most important feature will be fit so make sure that you are properly measured for proper bike size  

6. And finally, make sure that the bike you finally decide to buy is adjusted specifically for you