When I was in a similar position, I was trying to stick to the same price range, but I found it was hard to get it right for under $1K, and was really best value around $1500. Yeah, a lot more than I had planned, but much more worth it in terms of keeping me going. You may want to look used, but the most important part of the whole deal is getting the right size and fit in terms of geometry. They will all be a little different, and you have to ride them to get a feel until you find the one.