I agree with [165]. The De Bernardi is a good stuff. It is not heavy, handles well, and mine is happy on the street. I don't regret the money I put down for it one bit.

I recently had the chance to take both an IRO and a Circle A custom track bike for a spin around the block, and it very quickly gave me a sense of what $1500 buys you. The IRO felt a lot like my old fixed road bike--no great shakes. The Circle A was nimble, so responsive, and it wanted to go. If I were to put those at two ends of a continuum, my De Bernardi has noticeably more "track" handling than the IRO, but could never compete with a custom bike. But then which would you feel comfortable locking to a no parking sign in front of a bar? As a sub-$500 mass-produced frame, the De Bernardi is pretty damn good.

Where are you getting your pricing? I seem to remember that the DeBer was only $50-75 more than a Steamroller at most places, and about the same as the Soma Rush.