Road bike recommendations

If I have £1k I know what i'd buy rather than a datum...this failed to sell at £1100 last week on ebay

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Chris-King-Cielo-Road-Racer-Disc-Framest-Headset-Bar-Stem-Bottom-Bracket-/262383727014?hash=item3d1749f1a6:g:3j0AAOSwsN9XA-RV

just an average TIG welded frame with paragon dropouts with lots of hipster tax

carbon is the way forward

Yawn.

But do you own or have ridden a modern carbon road bike?

have you ridden a Datum or just read about it on the 'internet'

I've ridden and sold everything

Yes.

So you know.

I know what I like. I'm not into racing, where the benefits of a good carbon frame will be advantageous. For my kind of riding, steel or even ali will do me fine.
And as @fredtc said, if I had a grand for a frame I know which way I'd go. That Cielo is beautiful.

72.5 seat tube that bike is out.

Much better.

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It's an old car? Not my colour.

I'd probably wouldn't race on my carbon bike, It's for long social rides on a Sunday where I enjoy the (light) weight, comfort and bling.
If I raced again it'd be an aluminium frame - race on what you can afford to replace.

I know what I like. I'm not into racing, where the benefits of a good carbon frame will be advantageous.

Benefit of carbon is more of an advantage if you're not racing, it's the other way going for alu if you want to race and not spend money.

I'd rather have a nice steel frame over a carbon any day of the week and twice on Sundays. Just wired that way I guess. Aesthetics, the craft of the frame builder, the personal touches. Maybe I'm just too old for these new fangled plastic bikes.

Why not both?

Because I like my balls where they are, not in a vice. I'm paraphrasing Mrs. Jontea, but you get the gist.

This.

Having said that, ride quality and comfort is really down to the tyres choices, I'm hard pressed to see the difference between my carbon disc bike and my steel rims brakes bike with the same GP4000SII (beside the obvious braking power).

Also, despite my Elephants 650b tourer eighting a monstrosity 13kg (without the bag alone), I did the majority of personal best on it than on my 8kg steel road bike.

I've got the same tyres on a steel bike with aluminium wheels and on a carbon bike with carbon wheels. I can definitely feel the difference.

In 23mm, you can feel every. single. thing.

http://www.genesisbikes.co.uk/bikes/road/sportive/equilibrium-decade

I saw one of these today in the flesh, a properly brilliant looking bike. even with a dynamo front wheel. a sign I'm getting old maybe

Fine for me. 23mm on steel and carbon feels better than the 25's on my aluminium bike.

What's your aluminium bike?

A Pinnacle Dolomite 6. Cycle to work bike because it can take mudguards.