First road bike, a few questions

[malarkey]

Hi guys,
I thought I would pop in and say a quick hello and hopefully get a few questions answered.

I'm planning to start riding to work, it's about 14-15k's one way (For anyone in Brisbane i'm going from Indooroopilly -> Newstead)and I've done it a few times on my mountain bike, however I started to think if I'm going to do it on a regular basis it might be worth looking into a road bike. As I'm sure my 2.5in wheels are not getting me there as fast as I could be

A few guys at work keep telling me to stay away from anything that is running anything under 105 gear, but is it really that big of a difference between the sora/tiagra?

Also any pro's or cons between buying new or 2nd hand? I've found an Avanti Giro 4 brand new for $1049 but I was hoping I could get away with something a bit cheaper to start on or should I just save up a bit and bite the bullet?

Thanks in advance, any information or suggestions would be excellent!
Paul

[LM324]

hi, Don't get too caught up in the components of a bike, you can't say that since this bike has x groupset it is better than one that has y groupset. what's more important is the frame which will determine mainly how the bike will ride. The only way to know if a frame is good is to test ride the bike. Also 2300 sora and tiagra are still very good, you don't have to have 105/ better components. In fact there is little difference between tiagra and 105 and some say that tiagra is actually more durable than 105. look here http://www.livestrong.com/article/39575 ... railleurs/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
with regards to second hand, you could get a really good deal for cheap but the diadvantage is that you don't get any warranty and you're going to have to know a fair bit about bikes to make sure everything is in a good condition and you are not getting scammed. If you're looking for something cheaper how about the avanti giro 3. It is for sale at $780 at all avantiplus stores at the moment. It has the tiagra groupset

[Mr_Bob]

While you're thinking about what to do as far as a road bike, why not grab some 26" slicks for the mountain bike?
They can be had cheap and will make a huge difference to your commute,

Plus, you'll get a good idea if you're likely to commit to riding to work long term and can justify investing more money on a road bike!

[jasonc]

better off concentrating on fit then components. agree with above, but i'd say tiagra minimum for groupset.

[r2160]

If you are only doing 14-15kms, why not get used to it on the mountain bike first. The important thing is that you are riding.

Then if you enjoy it, think about a roadie then

cheers
Glenn