At this point in time I would like to add that any bike that isn't steel sucks

Heh.

Actually, yeah - if I only had 1100 bucks, I'd go 2nd hand, especially with a road bike. Do you have any idea how many fat lazy guys think "I might pretend I'm Lance and buy a really expensive road bike", only to realise that riding actually involves getting off the couch, then realising they're stuck with something that has the resale value of a turd?