Thread: Buying a "beginner" road bike 101. Help!?

I've been riding a "Giant" brand hybrid bike for a couple of years. I "pimped" it up by getting thinner ( road ) tires, proper seat, and putting the handle bars in their lowest position. It weighs 33 pounds! I still manage an average speed of 22-25 mph over a 2 hour ride. I would like to buy a road bike but don't know where to begin. What are the important specs? I don"t want to go "high end" - maybe "medium end". I am 5 foot 11 inches tall with longer than average legs, tipping the scales at 200lbs. Any suggestions for makes, models, or important considerations I should keep in mind? Thanks.
My bad! I average 25 km / hour - about 15 mph!! I do a 52km ( 30 mile ) loop in about 2 hours. Thanks to Bob A. for making me think about that. And yes, it's a heavy bike. That's why I'm thinking I'd like to try a much lighter one.

Go to the local bike shops, find the best one, and buy what they sell in your price range. Having good local service is way more important than brand, and a good shop won't sell you a bad bike.

*The Best shop is the one with a large, friendly and stable service department. The mechanics should be friendly, knowledgable and happy with their job. The shop should lead rides and support local events and keep their customers and employyes happy.

Look for a 105 groupset; you can get by with tiagra level stuff tho. Thats what I have and they work fine for me and my 4000mi/yr riding duties. Get fitted at a bike shop as a bike that doesnt fit rides you instead of the other way around.