Originally Posted by
wheezing donkey
I accept that you are wanting to stick to a budget; but of paramount importance is getting the sizing and fit correct - frame size, stem length, bar width and crank length. No point in buying a "bargain" that disappoints you and causes more injuries. This might mean buying a secondhand bike with the correct frame size then being prepared to swap components to get your actual fit correct. Look out for something with a decent Reynolds or Columbus steel tubeset, but be certain that it is built to modern dimensions ( 130mm across the rear drop outs ) or you will be scouring around for defunct parts when spares are needed. I think that all the Shimano groupsets are good down to Tiagra; wouldn't bother with Sora and below. With Campag, Mirage and upwards should suit your needs. As you don't intend being a competitive cyclist, maybe a triple chainset and wide ratio cassette to get a good spread of gears should be on your radar? E.G. A clubmate has just purchased a brand new Trek Madonne, but specced it with a FSA compact chainset and SRAM Apex transmission to get the gear spread correct for the vicious hills of the Bowland lanes!