I don’t think that the Conundrum would be so great for learning and a big investment for someone who is just getting into the sport but if you are going to go with the Conundrum I would have them build the wheel with an ISIS hub and KH cranks instead of the profile set that it normally comes with.
Profile is strong and has a lifetime warranty but is outdated technology.
Since they have to build the wheel anyway it should not be a problem to build it around a different hub. And you could save $160. I would also go with a Fusion Freeride instead of the street saddle. You could also ask for the new KH saddle that is not in stock yet but should be by the time they have the wheel ready. The new saddle has a wider back end which might be nice. You can read about it here