thanks marcus, yea i was a bit weary when he asked me about litespeed.. sure they make good bikes, but since he never rode one before, it was too late for him as he had already won the auction. i saw it last sunday and it looks used, but seller said it was a demo at a bike shop.. so who knows.

as for the motobecane Ti, i've only read positive reviews on it from here and RBR. wish i can test ride one, but dont know of anyone that owns that Ti nearby. but for $1K, guess it's not too bad as long as it doesn't ride like aluminum.