New to road cycling! Any recommendations for first bike? 6ft 4" budget up to £1000 ideally £600-£750

It all depends on what you want your bike for and what you plan to do on it in the future. A bit cryptic I know but it has a huge bearing on which type of bike to get. Going to a local bike shop and having a chat with them about what you'd like from the bike would be a good first step

I would suggest you visit more than one shop. That way you get a good wider of bikes to choose from and to see the range of recommendations and also the attitude of the staff in each.

Some still have a condescending attitude to customers who don't know their tubs from their clinchers whereas others are smarter and value their customers, regardless of whether they are spending £5,000 or just £5.

If you have a shortlist and want some input then we may have some suggestions but TBH you can probably find a bike that fits you and feels and looks 'right' to you. After all, it's you that will be riding it.

I'm a knuckle-dragger as well, but don't dispair there are off-the-shelf bikes that fit. A bike to commute on will have different preferences compared to training/sportives/racing. Getting the correct seat position, maybe a seatpost with some 'layback' and a handlebar post slightly longer than standard will add to your comfort. Also check the crank lengths in the bike you are being offered if your legs make up a lot of your 6'4".
You have lots of great bike shops in London, and some of the larger chains have good reputations and opportunity to test-ride as well - so no excuse for buying online and the local shop will help with servicing etc.
A 1k budget is a great price point to be shopping at!

Some really useful comments on here! Many thanks.

I got a little over excited and failed to mention what I intend to do on my new hobbie!

I am simply looking to ride outside of london ( where there is green stuff) on roads, aiming for endurance.

Short list :

Specialized allez elite £900

Eddy merckz amx1 2012 £699

Mekk 2g poggio2012 £893 carbon

Thoughts anyone?

I'm leaning towards the specialized as I have a long upper body, supposidly this bike has a long reach ??

So many bikes...

I've ridden an Allez for the past 3 years, its been great. I've upgraded the groupset from Sora to 105 as things have worn out and fitted a new set of wheels which made a big difference but the stock bike was fine to begin with.
I use this bike in the wet weather only so its had to put up with a lot of crud and has performed really well.

Have a play with the Ribble Cycles bike builder

http://www.ribblecycles.co.uk/pu/road-track-bike/bike-builder/bikebuilder/1

or check out their Special editions

http://www.ribblecycles.co.uk/pu/road-track-bike/special-edition-bikes/s...

I was dubious about parting with my wedge for an R782 unridden, but had chance to ride a De Rosa R838 and that's fairly similar.

Sportive Bianco is a good value bike, too.

Don't discount Canyon also - some great sub £1K bikes on their online shop

Just come back from a VIP night at Leisure Lake Bikes in Daventry..
They had a rep from Mekk and 5 bikes.
Look exceptional in the flesh and well equipped for the price

Really useful comments: VIP trip sounds nice! I'm going to continue my research. The mekk and allez elite seem both sound choices I guess the next step is test riding?! Any suggestions on set up etc. better to get a pro set up or just a standing one. There is a specialized concept near me, worth the money for the most accurate riding position?

Any good beginner clubs or group rides near london ?

Thanks

Great site this..

Just bought the Merckx. I know there might not be many reviews about the around so i thought i would post something. Since it literally came today i've only got the test ride to talk about it but i thought it was a great bike with a very nice ride and the 30 minute test ride i had felt more like 3 minutes. TBH, like advice above one of the best things you could do is to go to a bike shop, talk to them (or knowledgeable friends you might know) and test ride as many bikes as you can. Remember with Merckx, the sizing is a tad funny so just because you are a certain size on specailized, doesnt mean you are the same on Eddy. Finally, Tiagra at £700 is a steal. Hope i've helped.

I'd have thought there would be plenty to choose from.

British Cycling clubfinder:
http://www.britishcycling.org.uk/clubfinder

Clubs affiliated to Cycling Time Trials:
http://www.ctt.org.uk/Clubs/tabid/118/Default.aspx
(some clubs will be listed by both organisations).

London's a big place

What part of London are you closest to?

All the bikes you have listed look good for the money. The Canyon Roadlite AL 6.0 has a better groupset (Shimano 105 gears and brakes) and better wheels and tyres than any of them. It would be well worth a look for £869. A friend of mine has one and he says that it's great.

If you want a bike fitting, expert advice and a choice of every component then go to Condor Cycles on Grays Inn Road.
It will cost you a bit more than your budget but you'll be getting something that's just right for you.

That sounds like sound advice. I will pop to Condor this week and have a look, as well as check out the bike you mentioned.

thanks