Planet X RT-58 Campagnolo Chorus Road Bike - Thoughts please.

If you are going down the on line route have you considered Rose orCanyon? I've just taken delivery of an canyon ultimate cf sl 9.0. Full ultegra 6800, mavic ksyrium elite s Wheelset and it tips the scales at sub 7kg....at £2k plus p&p I think it's outstanding value. Rides pretty damn well to boot.

or you can buy for 2k quids a cento1sr from wilier with athena and vento asymmetric, or for 1150 GBP, a GTR wilier with veloce, fulcrum racing torq-r carbon cranks and Scirocco35 wheels.

http://tuttibringa.hu/akcios-kerekparok/orszaguti/wilier-gtr-veloce-detail

though not UK, I believe they can be convinced to ship for 20 quids to the islands,..?

I'd contact them anyway to ask for an offer for either a Zero9-GTR, or Bianchi Sempre, Orbea Orca, etc..

http://tuttibringa.hu/akcios-kerekparok/orszaguti/bianchi-sempre-pro-201...

they only have these 3 manufacturers at stock I believe :\ Or can supply groupsets and wheels for a reasonable price, leaving you to do the build. (PS: I know every german webshop, bought several times from the UK, but in the end, these guys got me with their prices.. esp. for Campag-Wilier-Bianchi triage..)

How easy is it for you to get to Southampton? We can build you a better bike than the Planet X. It'll look something like this: http://imgur.com/a/A83YX

The Khamsin is quite a good wheel set, I rode a pair as winter wheels for 2 years and sold them for 20 quid less than I paid.

I'd have them over the lower ranges of Mavic.

Looks like a great bike at the price. I was psyching myself up to spend more - e.g. the Bianchi Infintivo CV or a Colnago CX Zero, but this frame looks like it competes well with those and a campag group set seals it for me.

2 things I'd change though: I'd want higher end wheels, and they only spec the 12-25 cassette, for a big ride in the Peak or the Dales thats not enough range for my weedy legs so I'd swap it out for a 12-29. Yeah, I know, posh wheels and wimpy cassette... more money than sense

PX have 3 shops so you can get a basic fit and size the frames up, or even pay for a full Retul fit.

I don't have one, but I've had a good look at these and with up to 3 grand to spend, this is where my money would go (if I was buying carbon) it's a nice frame and the campag seals the deal at this price. It's not a basic frame, it's a few notches up on entry level carbon.

I think they have a surcharge of about 10% or maybe £100 on cycle scheme though, best to check.

Planet X source their frames directly from factories using open molds in China. This isn't necessarily a bad thing, nor are they the only ones at it. The Chinese apply knowledge they've built up in geometry and carbon lay-up to produce molds that anyone can buy a frame from. I've ridden a couple of open mold bikes frineds have, and to be honest they're as good an off-the-shelf frame as almost any other brand.

The advantage going with Planet X rather than direct to Aisa is that they're a legitimate company offering a warranty; if something goes wrong then you've got someone local to revert to.

The disadvtange of going with Planet X is they're an online sales only company (I think). You should check the frame stack, reach and top tube length against your current bikes (e.g. Specialized 54cm frames fit me really well with 2cm of spacers, but I can't fit on Treks at all). Looking at the Planet X geometry, it's similar to Specialized but is about 1 cm shorter, so you would need a longer stem to match.

Then there is the matter of handling, stiffness and comfort. Everybody likes something different and whether the frame will suit your tastes is something you won't know until you ride one.

That said, the RT-58 looks like a ridiculous bargain. Even buying direct and flea-Baying the groupset and wheels, I don't think I could build a bike up for less. And you'd have to know how to build it too (not to mention buy the tools or pay for someone to build it for you). For me, I'd strongly consider it as a race bike. If I crash it and write off the frame then it's not the end of the world. Try thinking that on your other choices.