Getting into Roadies

Long time RB MTBer, but i've seen enough and played enough with Road bikes to know that i would like to get involved.

Just not sure on which genre to enter in on...Retro Road or Modern road...??

I'm leaning toward Modern road, but have no real knowledge about good entry level, sizing myself up on one, the recommended groupsets etc....

so does anyone have some useful advice (probably the millionth person to ask this) plus good places to look for a bargain?
budget for me would be around the £200 - i'm willing to put up with cheaper end group sets to begin with as once i know what i want to upgrade to, i'll be able to find that stuff myself. used is definitely not a problem - considering my budget, this should hopefully leave me some good options?

i'm fully capable of building a bike up, so i could even entertain the idea of getting a frame/fork now, as i don't really have the space to obtain a complete one yet....

so my shortlist of options goes:

cheap modern complete bikes that can be ridden straight away but upgraded later.
cheap modern frames that i can build over time (preferred)
or
retro alternatives to the above

budget
£200ish (complete)
£100 for a decent frame and fork for me to build upon.

i'm in no rush, as i have a current build yet to finish, but just want to start this now so i can really hone in on what i want as i will plan to keep the bike for as long as possible.

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where to begin, apart from welcome to smooth side of the road.
you'll probably soon realise that road stuff can be damn expensive and much of the cheap price stuff is cheap for a reason; it's knackered! personal point of view only but a cheap road bike could put you off in that the feel of the bike just doesn't instill confidence, the ride will be harsh etc. all depends what your end goal is? if it's hours at a time on the bike then you want something that won't become your enemy!
as for bargain hunting; gumtree tends to offer fairly decent results if you look often enough. Bike jumbles are great; sellers aren't totally obsessed with massive profits so prices tend to be good. I know someone who picked up a £1500 trek for £250 via on of those police auctions! sold it a month later for £800! plenty of bikes turn up through here; although £200 might be a bit on the thin side?

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Hear you on all your points.
Have had a trawl through the for sale section here and 200 for a complete bike is a bit of a long shot. Frame and fork wise only, would that lead me down a mor fruitful path?

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...best time to get a good bargain is end of season, and it's almost always cheaper to buy a complete bike. Aim for 105 or Tiagra level gruppo.

Have found this, which I could stretch to providing my bonus comes through...

http://www.gumtree.com/p/bicycles/2013- ... 1118692450

Another +1 for Gumtree, some real bargains around that have made my pockets dry recently and I could have had more! Also try Preloved and try forums like Bikeradar, Road CC and the CTC. Also check the Cycling Weekly classifieds as sometimes things turn up there. If you hit lucky for £200 you could end up with a entry level aluminium framed bike with a Shimano groupset which will do you fine. Pinkbike also has a good selection of completes, frames and components for sale.

That Ribble is an absolute bargain! Campag groupset and wheels with a Columbus carbon for for just under £400! I'd stretch the budget and go for it if nothing else turns up cheaper .

The next question is size, I'm a touch under 6ft, that ribble says 52cm, is this top tube length or something else? considering the geometry and cockpit are different to mtb I'm guessing I'll need a different way to judge sizing....

My father is a touch under 6ft and rides a 56cm frame comfortably with a bad back, he can get away with a smaller frame however.

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Modern stuff is simple yet difficult to size, they're generally s/m/l with the size affected by seatpost length and stem length to create a suitable top tube length. manufacturers add sizing charts on the websites so well worth while having a look at those to establish the size you need. Or blag a fake purchase in those high street retailers to get a free bike sizing! The shape of the top tube will confuse things that's for sure :facepalm: give me a straight toptube anyday.

You'll be on a 56 or thereabouts as Ollie says, anything smaller and you'll end up a bit tucked up, not a good thing. There's a few on ebay just shy of £300 which could be made pretty good with a few upgrades and getting them set up properly! i.e. http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Merida-Scultu ... 1770643054