I know nothing about about road bikes, so what's good, what do you recommend, what should I look out for and what should I avoid?
thank you.
I bought a Boardman Team for £800, worth checking out
http://www.boardmanbikes.com/road/road_team.html
Pros:
Very light for the price
Very good transmission
Overall very good value
Cons:
Doesn't look as cool as some £800 bikes from bigger manufacturers
Bizarelly thin bar tape that needs to be changed straight away!
Halfords staff are variable - make sure you can either set up a bike yourself, or know someone who can, just in case you have to deal with a turkey.
Most major manufacturers will have decent bikes at £800, although spec is rarely as good as the Boardman. If you can find a decent discount somwehere it might be worth a squirt.
Failing that try secondhand. Road bikes tend to keep condition better than MTB's and you could get something very nice for £800.
EDIT: Halfords currently giving £50 accessory vouchers with the Boardman.
thank you i'll be having a look at that.
One of these second-hand from me..... how tall are you?
[img] 
?ver=12491365720001[/img]
It's for the mrs, she's 5'5
If she doesn't mind a triple this is really very good value and in available small sizes:
http://www.wiggle.co.uk/p/cycle/7/Focus_Variado_Expert_Triple_2009/5360037596/
It's possibly better value than the Boardman, even if it is a little heavier.
Oh, and you will probably need to decide first whether you ever want to use full-length mudguards or panniers. The bikes I have been linking to cannot take panniers, and only take 'race' mudguards.
Thats no good then, its a large for 5'10" to 6'2"
should probably go for womens specific, saving you saddle changes etc
[url= http://www.evanscycles.com/products/specialized/dolce-elite-2010-womens-road-bike-ec019779 ]spesh[/url]