for ~$800, i think it's worth it. i employee purchased one through the shop i help out at, and for what i payed, it has been great. i didn't want to spend a ton, as i was just getting into road cycling, and it was perfect for what i wanted. of course, the frame is the only original part left now on my bike, and i only use the wheels to train on. that is not to say the stock bike setup was bad, though. i have just upgraded components to lighten up and make the bike perform better as i have increased my skill level.

the only negatives i had:
1. the front shifting was horrible. i was constantly throwing the chain shifting up to the big ring. i had three different mechanics look at it, and they were all stumped. i'm not saying all podium 3's shift bad - it may have been a fluke with mine. but it was a problem nonetheless, and one you should check out on a test ride. (make sure you check it riding at high and low speeds, with the chain in all positions on the rear cassette.) i now have a shimano r700 crankset on it, and before i switched out the stock fd with a DA, it shifted perfectly. but i got the DA for free, so i had to upgrade. the gossamer's that come on it are good cranks, and if there is a shifting problem on the bike you are looking at, upgrading the fd to an ultegra would only cost ~$40 off ebay, and would almost certainly fix the problem. maybe the shop would even upgrade it for you.

2. the stock tires are terrible. i put pro race 2's on before the bike left the shop.

other than that, it's a great bike. 105/ultegra mix is great. the ride is comfortable despite the aluminum frame. i actually rode the stock saddle for about 3 months and it wasn't that bad. yeah, the bike is on the heavy side with the stock components, but what bike at that price point isn't? i currently have mine at about 17.5 pounds, and love the way it rides.

the biggest thing to make sure of, regardless of the discount, is fit. that's still numero uno over any good deal...