This summer I bought my first road bike (Trek 1000 WSD) and love it. Although I do admittedly have bike envy of all the carbon frames of those around me...I also realize most of the people that ride in my area have been doing so for some time and knew what they really wanted out of bike.

Switching from mtn to road also came with new pedals and shoes which took some getting used to...meaning there are also a few scratches on my bike. We did the basic fitting (and anything felt incredibly different and fast compared to the knobby tired bike previously ridden), but it has taken a few months to really understand the feel/fit (change of stems, tires, handlebar angle, and 4 seats).

While I do plan to upgrade late next fall (when the 07's drop in price) I am glad I started with what I did. If you end up buying from a bike shop - I would take time to go in and talk to the sales people and find one that you feel comfortable with. I drive two hours to mine, because the one's in my area either don't know what they are doing (part of an athletic dept store) or don't offer quality customer service. Also, the shop I did end up buying from honored the sale price at another store. Besides, even if you do buy from someone else or off e-bay you are going to want a reliable place to maintain your bike (unless you can do it yourself of course).

Have fun on your ride in April.