Help - Beginner needs help finding a bike!

Do you have anyone knowledgeable to go with you to bike shop? Or try watching craigslist and ebay for good bike.  I need a bike but I trying to hold out till tax time to buy.  Im just using a cheap walmart road bike at the moment.

http://www.beginnertriathlete.com/discussion/forums/thread-view.asp?tid=271697&posts=1&start=1

Just saw this on the classified board. Might be about your size, yeah?

Thanks Michael! I didn't know about the new one in Madison.

I also am new to tri and finding a bike was really difficult.  I thought the swim training would be hard, but wow, there is a lot of craziness with finding a decent bike.  Just a new entry level road bike is $800.  What I did, was to find my fit using some measuring guides on the internet.  I can't remember the site, but there was one where you measured about 8 different body lengths to get a fit. Then I used a craigslist app for my phone and set up some search criteria for bikes in all the major areas around me.  Every new post that matched my search came as soon as it was posted.  If I saw one I liked, I did a quick internet search for reviews and current pricing. 

It took about a month, but I finally found an old Kestral, full carbon frame, dura ace components, along with shoes and pedals for $500.  I even took in a wheel to a bike shop to see if they needed to be upgraded and the guy said they were top of the line, just about 10 years old though. So sure, it's old, but it fit my budget and now I have a base to figure out what I want later when, or if, I upgrade. 

Everyone kept saying I had to test ride a bunch of bikes, which I did, but it still didn't help.  Like anything, I think you really start to know what you want or not want after a ton of time using a particular item. Just like my car, which we test drove and everything was great.  But after a year, there are features I now wish I had and some I don't.  So getting a decent used bike saved me money, is competitive enough for my first races, and is helping me understand what I will be after on my next purchase.  Good luck and be patient. 

Oh, and while being patient, I bought a $50 old Schwinn 10 speed which weighs 40 pounds.  And though it really sucks, it was functional and a great temporary trainer (especially going up hills and headwinds).

google "Competitive Cyclist bike fit"

IMHO this is a good way to start. Until you have a thousand miles of cycling under you, a fancy-pants bike won't make much difference.