I am relatively new to biking, I have an old (80s) Trek that I've used a bit the last two summers, but I've decided it's time to upgrade. Originally I was hoping to spend no more than $1500, however I came across the Trek Madone WSD 4.5 and fell in love ($2,100). I'm wondering if Carbon Fiber is what I need, or if I should just find an aluminum bike (or steel?) in my original price range. I want to bike a few days a week, maybe on average 20 miles each time, and eventually would like participate in some longer (maybe 150 mile's over 2 days) races...and by race I would be participating just to finish, not to make any time goal. I'm looking for a bike that will last me at least for the next 10 years, and hopefully much longer than that. Any input would be greatly appreciated! (Oh, and I live in Alaska, so our roads are not the greatest quality)