If I were just getting into the sport I would either a) buy something used for about half as much, or b) spend a LOT of time with a LOT of LBSes finding the right bike at the right price.
It's not a bargain if you decide--for whatever reason--that bike isn't for you. And it's not as if you can't get a lot of bike in the thousand dollar range. (And there will be other deals.)