Hello again.
Just a quick reply to some of the comments. I've not gone about things in an arse about face way, i.e. starting with a budget and working backwards. I know what sort of frame, wheels and components I want and in general this is the price point at which they could be had.
As for the financial side of things, just to settle the 'curiosity' of some, the purchase will be made on interest free credit card. This make me a reckless tosser, surely? He can't afford it, I'm sure some will sneer, without knowing what's within my means or otherwise. Well, just so you're able to sleep at night, most of my cash is sat in various stock and share ISAs, mostly in index linked tracker funds. It makes much better sense using the cash for this instead of an outright bike purchase given what the growth's likely to be in 18-24 months. And even then, I might decide not to pay it off. I'm not a millionaire, not by a long way, but I've a decent balance between sticking money in a SIPP and stocks and shares ISA, and buying things I like. I'm in my mid-30s, with a mum who was diagnosed with Alzheimers in her early 50s, and so I appreciate the need to live for now whilst sticking money away for the future. I hope that helps.
I'm not buying another bike under the illusion it'll make me go faster. I didn't come down in the last shower and I'm not especially susceptable to marketing guff either.
Thanks a lot for the make/model suggestions. Lots to consider and I need to start viewing bikes in the flesh and start on some demos. I'm keen to find a decent bike shop that'll help me get the right size, and not just convince me the one they've got in stock or whatever they can get their hands on is the right one for me. Lots of the models I've been considering have an integrated bar/stem, so I'm guessing not much could be done in terms of customisation at the bike fit stage. I'm used to more old school finishing kits and the shop accomodating narrower bars, shorter stem etc. But not too sure how this'd work when it's a 1 piece aero bar/stem. I can only ask I spose.
The other thing I've started to consider is whether I'll be storing up issues later, relating to the above point. I'm not hugely technically minded but for instance, I don't know whether this limits changeability in the future if bars/stems etc are 1 piece and in-house. And I wouldn't want a bike off the road for ages awaiting bespoke parts from a manufacturer for this reason too.
I'm based in east Cheshire and would prefer somewhere within 1.5 hours drive but I'm prepared to travel further if needed. The only issue with that is after-sales support if the shop's miles away.