[Closed] Road bikes ... What brands, things to look for? Point me in the right direction!

Been enjoying my old 1980's Pearson, but hankering after a bit of newness. Pretty sure it's a road bike, not a CX I'm after, but with slightly lower gears than my 6 speed cassette, shifters on the bars, relative comfort. I'm typically spending a couple of hours potting/cruising Kentish lanes, like the lightness and feeling of speed of a racing bike, but the roads are poor so loads of vibration etc. Like smaller / niche brands.

What makes to look for, with a budget of possibly up to £1k. And secondhand.

And any forums equivalent to singletrack?

Many thanks