Road Bike - Alu or Carbon

[brockers]

Any thoughts on the De Rosa previously mentioned, I've never seen on but it seems to tick all the ali / campag boxes, although are you buying the name from a factory somewhere in china etc

Yes. It's highly likely that it's been welded together by a crack team of Taiwanese elves. As long as the frame design, manufacture and quality control remains under the control of DeRosa there's absolutely nothing wrong with that.

Sadly the days are long gone when you're able to pick up a bike which has been lovingly crafted by some wise, old and time-served artisan for less than 2 1/2 grand. And that's pushing it. Just to make you feel even worse, being able to drop £1500 even three or four years ago would have had you looking at bikes at the Centaur/ Chorus level