What I want you to know is as you look for a beginner road bike
You can find name brand bikes from quite a number of manufacturers that they sell as their beginner or entry level bikes for under a thousand dollars. These bikes are most often found at a local bike shop. They have a reasonably light aluminum frame quite often with carbon forks. This means they will be much more comfortable to ride. They also use name brand components usually made by Shimano which will work well and give you a much easier ride. I rode a Trek for a couple of years before I upgraded and it did well for me on a number of 100 mile rides so they can also take you to the next level.
What I want you to know is as you look for a beginner road bike there are differences and you will get what you pay for. In my opinion you should buy the best road bike your budget can afford as I know you will appreciate the difference.
