My current bike is old, retro you might say. It’s also too small for me, a 58 and at 6’4″ I’m tole I need a 61. Because of its age it also has only an 8 speed cassete, and finally, I find it too flexi, giving me serious wheel wobble on steep decents.

I have the option of C2W and although it’s through Halfords my LBS will take the vouchers.
The downside of C2W is the £1000 limit so I can’t really get carbon as I’d like. (Did look at the Boardmans but too small). The LBS have suggested a Trek Domane 2.0 with Tiagra bits. Should I go with that or forget LBS and push the boat out to get something better and if so what? (Bearing in mind I am 6’4″) I could potentially stretch to £1600, esp if I can sell my current bike.

Just get the best framset you can and replace the other bits gradually over time, there will loads of sales on roadie bits soon anyway

I’m the same height as you and just got a cube peloton race for £1k. Got a 64cm which is the same as most manufacturers 62cm,huge headtube but I have a couple of slipped discs so it suits me. Full 105 and decent mavic wheels, £1k bikes from trek, giant, spesh etc always have much bigger compromises. Would have liked carbon too but the cube is surprisingly comfy for alu, loving it.

58 is only too small if it feels too small. I’m 6’4″ and ride 58s comfortably.

For a grand you’ll generally get a much better ally bike than carbon, but depends what you want.

I would ask your lbs nicely if the limit is £1000. Many will let you top up with cash

£1000 is the limit, no flex. 🙁

But, just discovered I can get a Planet X Pro Carbon. Either Sram Rival or Shim 105.

This is looking like my favoured option but unsure which version to choose”

They do an X Large but not clear whether that will fit.

My one concern is I’ve read a comment somewhere that they are a bit flexi at the front, does anyone have any experience of this?

Yeah, I found that – with stock, columbus and easton ec90 forks. I am a fat git though so I’m sure I get stuff like this more than most. Switching to the look 566 I’ve got now was night and day in terms of stiffness on the front end (same wheels, same brakes, even the same skewers).

C2W is a crap way to get a bike IMO if you find the funds, this is a lot of bike for £1500 IMO…

Edit:

closer to the original budget in aluminum…

Or middle for diddle carbon with Tiagra at ~£1250 odd.

Shop around and I reckon you could beat that lot by a bit too…

Still looking and decided probably to ditch the C2W scheme as too limiting, plus my most local LBS and the one I like the best doesn’t do Halfords scheme.

Currently looking at a Trek Madone 3.1 with Shimano 105 kit like this one and a Trek Emonda S which has Tiagra one here

There aren’t many reviews of the Emonda yet and those there are are for the featherweight and bank breaking SLR.

Any thoughts or other suggestions?

Thanks