In my humble opinion, "first bike" and "$1,170" do not really belong together. And entry-level bikes aren't baby bikes or toys or anything like that. They're real bikes that are made to work well and last a long time. It's not like you need a more expensive bike to go faster.

I have a 3-4 year old Defy 3 which I love. It's basically the same as the newer Defy 5, but mine came with a carbon fork and seatpost. It's a great bike. I have changed a few components (like changing from triple to double) without any problems.