cheap 2nd hand road bike

rhyko7

hi guys
i ihave been contenplating getting a 2nd hand road bike for a while, i have been mtbing for a couple years but have ended up doing most of my fitness work on the road using an mtb with slick tyres.
i am only willing to spend about 200£ on a a 2nd hand road bike, for this price would i get something half decent and will it get me places much quicker than an mtb with slick tyres (which i would like to turn into my xc race bike)?
i am not going to race or anything but may go out with the local roadie groups, i am unsure if it is worth it hence the low budget, but the main reason is i want to turn my hardtail back into an mtb again.
also i am a bit confused bythe sizing of road bikes especially giants-i rode a 156 in the velodrome that seemed to fit ok.
any advice welcome cos i aint got a clue about road bikes, what do i need and what should i avoid?

The Spiderman

I managed to buy my Trek 1200 in my sig below off another bike forum for about £250.
I think you may need to go to £300ish,but I`d be looking at the likes of a Giant SCR/Defys,Trek 1000/1200 or 1.2,Specialized Allez or a Boardman.
At this price range you`d probably looking at Shimano Sora or Tiagra componetns which work well enough,but are 9 speed rather than 10 speed of the more expensive stuff.

As for sizing,its much like mtbs in that you really need to try a few for size.