Originally Posted by
mcours2006
Both are flat bar bikes. If you are in it for the long haul I suspect in the not-so-distant future you'll be wanting a drop bar bike. I'd choose the $1000 bike and save the $300 for that future purchase. When you're ready to upgrade (to a dropbar) you'll likely just buy a new bike rather than upgrading or converting the old bike.
this.
ahhhh haha late to the party I see.
FWIW, don't bother with a high end fitting for at least a few thousand miles. Get a basic fit. Pay attention to how you feel, and also to your form and technique. Try to get some gopro video from time to time to review. Eventually, as your fitness and flexibility and core strength develop, you may want to get a high tech fit.
If you have pain or performance issues however, you will want to revisit that basic fit and either research and adjust it yourself, or go for a fitting sooner.