http://www.salsacycles.com/campeon.html
That is the bike I got a few years ago, and it is everything I ever wanted. I would try to go for a bike in the 1500-1800 range. It seems the jump from a 1k bike to a 1.5k bike is a lot bigger jump, than say from the 1.5k to a 3k bike. Once you get to about 1500ish range, you are getting a bike that you will not need (want) to upgrade. Plus, a lot of the times, this range of bikes has a higher quality frame. At the 1k range, you are probably getting a medium grade aluminum bike, which is fine in it's own right. But you get up to 1500+ and the options in frame material start to expand. You can now start getting into higher grade aluminum, some carbon fiber/aluminum combos, and even some of the lower grade titanium. The Salsa, above, is made out of scandium and carbon fiber, which makes for a smooth, super fast, ride. They usually sell for 2k+, but if you look around, you can usually find great deals on last year models. Usually, the only major difference would be a paint scheme and colors, etc.