Originally Posted by
sstorkel
The OP can't afford...
There is so much wrong in storkel's last post, I'm not going to waste time explaining it all again. I just noticed dr_lha handled it
OP, the bikes are out there in the $1,200 to $2,000 as you mentioned. You'll likely have to spend over $2,000 to get under 20 lbs on a steel bike, but that weight difference really doesn't matter if you are not competing on some level.
As mentioned earlier, that Jamis Quest Elite is a great bike for the price. There are others out there as well in the Surly, All-City, Kona, Salsa world at that price range. I suspect they will server you better than trying to find a carbon fiber bike in that price range.
Feel free to PM me if you have any specific questions.