For me, there is one very simple criteria for a "high end bike". Does it disappear under me? Cost has little to do with that criteria. The bike I called "Team Dumpster" for its frame, literally saved from a dumpster and repaired with a CF wrap around the BB and chainstays as both were about to break cost me $105 to get riding. That bike was closer to my old racing bike than anything I had owned in the 20 years between. It inspired a custom replacement that cost me about 40 times as much
My wish for anyone getting into cycling is that they find a bike and experience it disappearing. (No, no, not it getting stolen.
) Then 1) they will be hooked and 2) they will always know it when they settle for less.
Ben