Originally Posted by
nightfly
All City Big Block. Soma Rush.
Start with a good quality frame and go from there. Spend most of your budged on frame and wheels. Scavenge everything else and upgrade later. If you have $500 or $600 you can save a little longer and get to whatever you need for a good bike. Used steel frames are a good deal.
Forgot about the Soma Rush...yeah a Soma Rush would be neat. It would look especially nice with a retro-esque build which could be done reasonably cheaply and still get some good parts here and there.