to togarider, i wholeheartedly agree with pedalfaster. make a list of what you really want, and don't sacrifice to save $ i have been a fairly serious rode rider@20 yrs and after feeling beat up by 2 aluminum frames, i switched back to steel, with a carbon fork, and the best components money could buy. i ended up with a beautiful derosa, and i have no regrets! alot of my riding pals like all carbon, or titanium like the merlin, kestral, trek, etc. after having 2 cannondales, i wanted something a little more exotic too. take time to think about it, gather info from cyclists, etc. and don't rule out mail order. our local shops are not the greatest either, so i ordered from colorado cyclist and they were awesome. also, it helped me to learn alot by doing my own "research" instead of just buying "off the rack" so to speak!good luck, and remember, this is supposed to be fun, so enjoy!