I was impressed with the fact that the lower end Cannondales (R700 and up I think) have essentially the same frame that they use on the R5000. They don't seem to be as well equipped at the same price points, though. Felt's sound like they give a lot of bang for the buck and so do Giants. I wasn't impressed with the Trek's I saw in the $1000 price range, but they sure seem to be popular. I actually ended up with a 2005 Specialized Allez Elite, a bike I hadn't considered before seeing it in the shop. It has a great frame and decent components for $1050 (triple).