my first road bike.what to get?

canyon bikes are phenomenal for the money. You should consider them. But as previous commenters have mentioned, this is only a decision for you. Noone else can choose for you.

I have no experience of giant bikes so can't help there. I am a die hard Specialized fan boy but in your budget I would steer clear of them. Any tarmac at that price will be based on the SL2 frameset which was a nice piece of carbon 3 years ago but things have moved on. Components will be probably shimano 105 (which I rate) but you will get a heavy old wheelset too. I went for a bargain bucket ally allez in the end and spent money on a groupset and some lighter wheels. The result is a bike which is lighter than the entry level tarmac and for less money. Of course I'm now hankering after a nice carbon frame for next season but the allez has been great and will stay as a winter trainer/commuter.
I think what I'm trying to say is don't forget to factor the components into your decision. You might be better off looking at a lower range bike with a better spec.

If you really want a 4 seasons bike then I think you will need one with mudguard clearance, unless you plan to ride alone or last man in the group. This points to an audax type frame. Carbon frames are lightest and most responsive in my experience but expect tight clearance for mudguards and in worst conditions you will end up having to clear mud from between guard and wheel. I leave my carbon bike at home in the winter for above reasons and I'm more likely to have a "chute" which I'd rather not on a frame that can snap. A good alu frame would be my choice if you want a "do all" bike on a restricted budget but even some titanium frames are now reasonably priced - e.g. see Spa cycles. If carbon is a must, Boardman bikes get strong reviews and guys I know who have them rate them + seem v good value but of course only available thru Halfords.

Get the best bike you can ,,,because you will only end up upgrading ,so go for the best kit you can afford ,check the magazines and websights and you will start to get an idea of what you might like and what you wont ,,,if you have a mate who knows is stuff, use is advice , you will get a lot more for your money buying second hand ,,,good luck

No-one else can make the decision for you. I'd recommend you visit some shops and find a bike that:

1. fits you correctly;

and

2. you like it and want to ride it (there's no shame in choosing one because you like the colour or the frame shape).

ha, a question with a million answers!

I had my Trek 2.3 bike (which would come in your price range by the way and was a very good ride - ally with 105 groupset) nicked about 6 weeks ago, so have just been through the process of buying a replacement bike. The reason I replied to your post is because the bike I ended up with was a second-hand (2009) TCR Advanced.

My impression of the Giant is so far that it is a brilliant piece of machinery (mine is carbon/ultegra, I'm not sure where that fits into their 2012 range) and is a lot nippier than the Trek was. As soon as I got on it I was riding my regular routes more than 10% faster, so a more sporty bike.

Since you also mention Specialized...as part of my search I ended up at my LBS who happens to be a Specialized dealer. I'm not fully aware of the details of the Specialized range but I was told that if I wanted more of a sporty bike I should be looking at the "Tarmac" range.

A couple of other things....

1. when you say "fast to ride" and "do distance" (which I presume is another way of saying "comfortable"), you could well be talking about two mutually exclusive things, especially in your budget. So be aware that you might need to make a decision here.

2. When I bought my Trek, it was a far more laboured decision than the Giant, I knew I was in a position of ignorance and essentially decided what brand I wanted and then let my budget guide me to the actual model. (I chose Trek because I figured if that's what Lance rode....Go figure....) But basically I ended up with a choice of two bikes, with geometry the difference. My point is simply that if you are going to constrain yourself to the couple of brands which are stocked by your LBS, then possibly the number of suitable bikes is somewhat narrower (and therefore your choice easier) than you might think.

HTH