If you're a novice, consider buying a less stiffer bike for practicing. Stiff sprinting platform with excellent acceleration. Good all-around climbing bike too. Fork does a good job eating up the small stuff. Ultegra group performs flawlessly.
Seat can be quite painfull at times.
Can be a little hairy on really bad roads. I wouldn't recomend it to a complete novice though because of its somewhat harsh ride. But would be an excellent piece for a more experienced rider who can coax out the demon that lives inside this bike. So besides the fact that the seat is no good, i have absolutly no complaints, its a hell of a bike.