That's the thing nobody knows how hardcore you will be. Are you the type to pick up a new hobby very quickly only to abandon it? If that is the case and you cannot afford the Defy2 for quite a while, I'd get the Defy3 to get you going. Now if you see yourself getting into the sport more seriously and you can swing a Defy2, I'd actually get the compact and not the triple. Before you even think of pulling the trigger see and ride every bike that you can. I know others have suggested Bikes direct and used, but in your case I would go NEW because as you have admitted you are still learning. If you buy new only buy from a shop that is willing to give you a full fitting to the bike you are buying. Here are some other bike lines to check out. Trek, Scott, Jamis, Cannondale, Felt, Bianchi and Fuji. Test ride all of the bikes and compare all of the features like wheels, shifters, front derailleur, rear derailleur, cranks. Put all of the bike info into a spreadsheet so you can compare them side to side. Be sure to compare how long of a period each LBS will give you free adjustments. I'll save some work for you...you will get less as far as features for a Trek than you will get for a Jamis. Every bike in your price range is going to have some parts on them that is a compromise and that compromise is many times made in the wheels.