smittyjo,

The most important thing about buying a bike is to get one that fits you well. The two frame measurements that are most important are the seat tube length and the top tube length. The first thing a bike store employee will have you do is to stand over the bike and see how much clearance there is between your crotch and the top tube. If the seat tube is too long, you won't have much (or any) clearance. Generally, you should have 1-2" of clearance. But remember that this is a very general rule of thumb.

Don't ignore the top tube length. If the top tube is too long, you will feel stretched out and experience neck & shoulder pain. If the top tube is too short, you'll feel cramped.

Once you have found a bike that fits you, your bike shop should work with you on fine tuning the fit. This involves setting the seat height and fore/aft placement, and the stem height and length.

You may have heard of Women's Specific Design bikes. Basically, they have shorter top tubes relative to seat tube length, because women typically have shorter torsos relative to leg length as compare to men of the same height.

Once you've found frames that fit you, you need to figure out the type of frame material you prefer and that is in your price range. The main choices are carbon fiber, steel, aluminum, and titanium. Each has different ride qualities, and it becomes a personal preference. Generally, aluminum is a stiffer ride, so many aluminum bikes come with carbon forks and seat stays to help dampen the road shock.

Components (brakes, derailleurs, etc.) are another item that will affect price. Shimano and Campagnolo make most of the component sets that come on road bikes. The more expensive component sets are lighter weight and have better finishes. It pays to test ride different bikes with different component sets so you can determine your preference. Is the Shimano Ultegra set worth $x more than Shimano 105? Only you can answer that question, since it's your money, and you're the one who's going to be using the components.

As far as bikes for Hawaii goes, I think any bike you're looking at would work equally well in Hawaii.

Try lots of different bikes in your price range!

Happy shopping!

-- Melissa