Road Bike Advice

Welcome to the forums Craig. You are past the entry level of cycling already and should be looking at bikes above this level. I would suggest that you go to your LBS and start looking at bikes with Tiagra and above components. Try a few out because there are different frame materials and geometry's available. Most bikes at this level have Carbon Fiber forks they have become almost an industry standard. Make sure to get a bike that fits right. Fit is the most important feature of any bike. You could get the best bike in the world and if is not a good fit it is not a good bike for you. Once you get a few ideas from your LBS you can post your findings and then folks around here can really help you through the selection process. Good luck as you enter the next phase of your cycling adventure.

Yes, I agree with the comment above. Maybe look at bikes around the spec of Cannondale Caad 8 or Specialized Allez Sport, but if you would rather spend a bit more then you should get something a bit lighter and with a better groupset. I have a Caad 8 and have been riding for a year now and have done a few races and TT's and hill climbs.
I wish now that I had bought something lighter but didn't know any better at the time (and couldn't really have spent much more)

Quoted post said:

Originally Posted by foamer86 [IMG]/img/forum/go_quote.gif[/IMG]

I started riding last year with a Kona Dew Hybrid. I didn't realize that I would be riding 25-50 or more mile rides. I am thinking of getting a road bike, just not to sure what to look for. What type of fork, pedals etc etc, anything else I should know. I don't want to spend to much, but I also don' t want to have to buy another one in 2 or 3 years. I would be ok with used.

Have you considered simply converting your bike to the equivaent of a KONA DEW DROP, but with better shifters?

For less than $300(US) and a minimal amount of effort (if you can open a jar of pickles then you can DIY) you can:

• buy a pair of Drop handlebars whose width & bend suits your preference ... between $15-to-$400
  
• buy some handlebar tape ... $7-to-$20
  
• buy a set of 10-speed Campagnolo shifters ... $100-to-$200, used (you can pay more, of course!)
  

You'll need some masking tape (it's what I use) to strap the cable housing to the bars ...

The 10-speed Campagnolo shifters will readily index with 8-and-9-speed Shimano drivetrains ... the rear derailleur cable is connected "normally" to an 8-/9-speed Shimano rear derailleur for 8-speed Shimano indexing & the alternate hubbub.com connection (at 3 o'clock) is used for 9-speed indexing.

Not countng some 700x28 tires & tubes (I'm not sure how wide your current wheel's rims are, but 700x28 should be "okay"😉 OR possibly a new stem, you could certainly do the conversion for under $200(US) AND have the parts necessary to convert the bike back to a Flat Bar bike if-and-when.

• The only (?) caveat is that you do NOT want the Campagnolo shifters which have a "QS" on the left shifter unless the shifters are Record or Chorus.
  

The 10-speed Campagnolo shifters can be used with 8-/9-/10-speed Shimano drivetrains with varying amounts of effort -- from zero effort to minimal effort -- so, they can be used on almost any other bike you might have in the future.