First, a bit about my bicycle history so you know where I am coming from and maybe give better advice. I used to do downhill racing, bmx'ing, and mountain biking for fun and sport. I eventually abandoned it, not due to lack of interest. I was active in a few sports through high school. College saw me sitting on my butt doing NOTHING physical for the most part... a true shame given my perfect environment in a valley of the Green Mountains. This summer I got an internship at JSC in Houston, TX and a borrowed road bicycle was my only personal set of wheels. It was a 40+ lb steel Peugeot, too large of a frame, rusting, non-indexed shifters with a loose chain, etc. It took getting used to a road bicycle but I loved it. I was doing around 250 miles a week of riding, plus working out 4 days a week or so for an hour, and working ~50 hours.
Today I am looking at buying a new road bicycle and getting rid of my two mountain bikes, one a prize. I speculate its use potentially ranging from commuting, touring, and sometimes riding to see how quickly I can get somewhere. I aspire to enter into some distance cycling events like the Boston-Montreal ride, but I never intend to do serious competing. My rides will definitely include hills and the mountains of New Hampshire and Vermont.
What sort of advice would you give to someone like me, who knows nothing about components or brands in this area? Brands to stay away from? Should I definitely concentrate on used? New? Gearing to look for? Any and all tips are appreciated before I start this endeavor.
