When making a decision to buy a road bike, your budget will greatly determine what type of road bike you can buy. Although this will greatly narrow your choice, you will still be able to find a road bike that can meet your needs. Your bike dealer will want to know how much you plan on spending so he or she can accurately lead you to a bike that you may like. There are also many places online that you can find a bike a lot cheaper than you could online. So if you decide to just "window-shop" at a local bike store, try to get an idea of what type of bikes you like and then shop online.