1st road bike; wary of no-name parts? About to buy my first road bike. I keep things for a long time, so won't be upgrading the frame in 2 years. I will ride 2-3 time weekly, 15-40 miles each time. I'm deciding among three options:

Cheapest: Diamondback Century 2 for $800. http://www.diamondback.com/bikes-pavement-road-endurance-road-century-2. To be purchased online.

Mid-range: Trek 1.5 2013 for $1000. www.trekbikes.com/us/en/bikes/2013/archive/trek/2013_1_5_h2_compact/  Ridden and comfy but not real zippy. 

Higher end (for me): Cannondale Synapse Tiagra or 105 5 ~1200-1400. Comes with a professional fit. 

The Diamondback is tempting, given the 105 components and the price, but it's got some no-name hubs and non-105 brakes. Is that worrisome? Any other thoughts on these options?
My first real road bike was around $1300 - so you are on the right track as far as spending. You do have to pony up to get a decent ride and components. 

I bought a Bianchi, and the dealer is an hour away. I haven't had any issues, but now that I look back I should have bought a bike where I live, so I have dealer support and can get parts/merchandise easily.

Are any of the brands you mentioned local to you?

If I were to pick I'd go with the Trek for your first one. My bike has Tiagra and its been fine. I actually will probably upgrade to 105 when stuff starts wearing out. Having Tiagra gives me something to look forward to.