Nice to meet you--I'm pretty new at this, too. I have my first real road bike...at the age of 36 (37 in less than an hour, woot!). Only my 3rd in my entire life, but I hardly count the clunky Schwinn mtn. bike that I got maybe a decade ago. It was miserable and too big for me, so I hardly used it.

As far as clothing and stuff, I have found good deals at Nashbar.com, Amazon.com, RealCyclist.com, and eBay. Right now I am pretty much at 1-2 of everything. I have 1 strappy top, 1 sleeveless, 2 shortsleeve, 1 warm jacket, 1 windbreaker, 2 pairs of shorts, 1 pair of thermal tights to wear over shorts, 2 pairs fingerless gloves, 1 warm pair (1 helmet and pair of shoes, of course). As weather warms up I will probably pick up another sleeveless top and another strappy top or two. Except for the shorts and shoes I have generally found stuff for half-price or less by really scouring the internet. Google shopping search is really good for this.

Most of my rides, thus far, have been indoors, since we get a good deal of snow and ice here in MI. I got my bike in November, so I only managed 3 outdoor rides before weather turned. I cannot wait for Spring!