Originally Posted by
drvrswntd
Thanks for the input, the Jamis is already on my list (in fact, the only OTP bike not on my list is the surly steamroller, for it's lack of rear brake capability), and maybe I wasnt clear in my initial post (which I will edit), but my question is essentially if it makes more sense to buy a new OTS bike for the frame or componentry, and what is the best resource to compare componentry and frame materials?
Hmm, well obviously it's easier to upgrade components than it is to upgrade your frame. That said, there's no reason that with $700 as your ceiling you can't expect both good componentry and good frame materials (and, not to push this into shill territory, if you're willing to spend $700, the Jamis offers a pretty reasonable balance here).
And by good, I mean better than basic cro-mo (4130 and 520 are both representatives here) and better than off-brand components (the kind of stuff that comes on the bikesdirect deals and, to a lesser extent, on the Paddywagon and other OTP setups).
As far as specific resources for comparing componentry, really you've already found Sheldon and bikeforums SSFG--probably two of the better resources (ok SSFG has its landmines) out there. The best resource is experience.