I guess I'll risk a fire fight......but IMO the best bang for the buck will be an aluminum frame bike. Less expensive (generally) than a classic steel or a good CF frame. And, that will allow you to have higher end components and wheels. A lot depends on your personal proclivities but I am not over the moon about CF. Certainly nothing wrong with them, and I'm sure I'd be fine with one, but they have a "hollow" sound to them. For some reason that doesn't resonate with me. (Pun intended). If I was to shop for CF I'm not into the common bikes (I also am a pizza snob and think the only real pizza is from NYC. OK maybe Pepe's or Modern in New Haven) and would be looking for something Italian. Maybe like this: https://www.coloradocyclist.com/coln...gra-r8000-bike