The $500 pricepoint is there but as mentioned, it will compromise on some parts which would matter to me. The key word is "me", stick to your budget, do your homework and test a few bikes. Giants are generally priced a few bucks less than the other big names. Look at the Talon. Someone here just got the Talon 3 for $550, Fall is a great time to buy overstock or last year's models at 20% off or better.