NEW sub $3500 bike pls?

[jlah]

alright guys, gonna need some directions here.
i've been riding one aluminum road bike since i became a 'roadie' and that particular Giant OCR has lasted me more than 8 years. unfortunately its' time has come to an end and 'old faithful' needs to be replaced. so when i decided to hunt for a new bike, i was immediately astounded by the bombardment of new technology and bike brands out there today. enough of my lifelong chitty-chat-tale, here's the deal;

i'm planning to throw a $3500 budget on a road bike. i consider myself more a 'weekend warrior' but would love to get back into racing once i'm done with my degree!

i assume with that budget i can get a decent bike with:
full carbon frame & fork
bb30 bottom bracket
tapered headtube
sram force or shimano ultegra components
sexy internal cable routing maybe?
race wheels are out of the question at this point. (those suckers will destroy the budget)

i'm tryin to stay away from mainstream brands (trek, specialized, etc) but that might change. right now i've got 2 on my shortlist!

Jamis Xenith Pro
Focus Izalco Team Replica

i know getting a bike is all about fit. but the problem is dealers and distributors in minnesota don't really carry not-so-popular brands. so testing one is gonna take a couple of hours drive. so all in all, thanks for your time reading this essay i've composed and thoughts to those 2 bikes listed and any addition to the shortlist will be graciously appreciated. thanks!

 

[Scotty_Dog]

Best bang for your buck and non-mainstream brands can be found here:
Bikesdirect.com

 

[OldGoat]

How's 'bout this?

2009 Cervélo S3/SRAM Force Complete Bike - Competitive Cyclist
CERVÉLO S3/SRAM FORCE COMPLETE BIKE

With the S3, Cervélo makes a giant leap forward with aerodynamics. Most apparent is the clever use of internal cable routing. The derailleur cables route through the top of the top tube, right behind the headset. The housing feeds into cable stops on the top tube, then naked wires run down the headtube, through the down tube, into the BB shell. This is an aerodynamic improvement, yes. But we appreciate it just as much for practical reasons: You'll no longer have to cope with the dreaded cable housing rub on the sides of your head tube. And since there's no more housing slap against your frame, your bike is certain to be quieter.

Other than the cable routing change, the front triangle of the S3 is identical to the SLC-SL. The rear triangle, though, gets a complete facelift. The chainstays are a new, measurably-more-aerodynamic shape, identical to what you get on their uber-TT frame, the P4. At a glance you'll see how much thinner the S3 seatstays are in comparison to the SLC-SL. Their surface area dramatically decreases, another aerodynamic improvement. But of greater consequence is the influence of the R3 seatstay design here. They have a thinness reminiscent of the R3, and they're designed to provide exactly what you get from the R3: Noticeable comfort on lousy roads. No, it's not the same seatstays as the R3, but their relationship is obvious.

The S3 is Cervélo's most aerodynamic road frame, but it delivers vertical compliance to a near-R3 degree -- unlike anything you've ever felt in the S-platform before. It does this while weighing close to what the SLC-SL weighted (the S3 tips the scales at about 80g heavier -- roughly 1080g for a size 56cm), and with no loss of the SLC-SL's stiffness-under-power.

We're offering the 2009 S3 at such a great price for two reasons: (1) Cervélo introduced all-new paint schemes for 2010. (2) Cervélo tweaked the S3 seatstays for 2010. The 2009 stays are narrower, making it tough to use Zipp 404, 808, and 909 wheels. Except for these bulbous-rimmed tubulars, almost all other wheels are 100% compatible with the '09 Cervélo. The 2010 version isn't a performance improvement, but rather offers broader compatibility with super-high end tubular wheels. In our minds this is the functional and aerodynamic equivalent of the 2010.

We've paired up the S3 with a 2010 SRAM Force gruppo. Force has been lauded for providing ProTour functionality and lightness at a remarkably reasonable cost in comparison to Red, Shimano Dura Ace, or Campagnolo Record . Other details on this bike include a Selle Italia C2 Gel Flow saddle, a Cervélo Aero Carbon Fiber seatpost, Easton EA70 bar and stem, and Easton EA50SL wheels durable enough for everyday training, but light enough for race day. You'll also get Michelin Pro 3 Race clinchers and Arundel cork ribbon. And one huge added bonus is FSA's best-selling carbon fiber crankset, the SL-K Light with a matching bottom bracket. This is essentially a 2010 bike. You're getting a significant discount without giving up one iota of Cervélo engineering or style, nor are you sacrificing a whit of component technology. Or, to put it another way, you're getting a complete bike for 25% less than the original cost of the frame alone.

The Cervélo S3 comes standard with a 3T Funda carbon fork and an FSA integrated headset. Given the fact it comes with a sloping top tube, we encourage you to focus on the virtual top tube length in order to determine the ideal frame size. We are limited to our on-hand inventory of 2009 S3 framesets in sizes 48cm and 51cm. This comes with Cervélo's Limited Lifetime Warranty from manufacturing defect.

S3/SRAM Force Complete Bike Price: $3499.00 (Was $6400.00)

Other competitivecyclist.com specials here:
http://www.competitivecyclist.com/za/CCY?PAGE=SPECIALS