first road bike - advice/recommendations

If this is your first rodeo at doing anything physical, like running or biking religiously?  If not then I agree with some of the others that you first buy a used bike for around $350 (American) because about 78% of people that start a new physical hobby quit within 6 months of starting, then if they had bought a nice bike to do their new hobby it becomes expensive garage art, and that new bike you're looking at would have virtually no resale value because it's a generic Chinese made bike, about the only worth it would have used is the components.  

So I recommend a used bike, the good thing about getting a used bike besides being out less money if you quit the sport, which I hope you don't but the odds are against you, you will be out less money and could probably sell the bike for close to what you paid for it!  If you find yourself loving to cycle and a couple of years go by and you're still riding religiously then you can consider saving money for a really nice bike for around $1,500 (American again) with Shimano 105.  A good quality well taken care of used bike should last at least 10 years!  So don't worry about that, sure there are wear items like chain, gears, handlebar tape, tires, saddles, cables, brake pads etc that can wear out but guess what?  those same items will wear out on a new bike too!  But if you keep the bike maintained (meaning have bearings regreased every year, you can take it to a bike shop for that work) it should easily last you 10 years and probably longer.

I have a used bike I bought for touring!  I am completely confident in the bike to go across the USA on it without any worries about it failing.  

Plus with the money you saved by buying used you can buy helmet, water bottle and cage if the used bike doesn't come with a cage, seat bag to put flat repair stuff in, a bright 75 lumens plus tail light needed these days with people looking at their laps while driving, a pair of nice cycling shorts, not so nice low costing socks and jerseys, and adequate shoes to work with whatever pedals comes with the bike.  You'll also need some chain oil, Dawn for Dishes without citrus or lemon, and a sponge so you can clean the chain and lube it when you're done cleaning it.  (maintenance is important, you can post here if you want to know how to do simple stuff like chain cleaning and lubing and tire repair; a lot of this stuff is on You Tube too).

If you're not sure what you're looking at when you find a used bike you can take the brand and model and google it to see how good it was when it was made, and you can post here again and ask us if it's a good deal. 

Anyway I would start looking at all the resources you have in your area for used bikes if I were you.

I have been very impressed with the ride and kit on the B'Twin Ultra 900 AF which has a full 105 group set and is light for an aluminium frame with carbon fibre forks. It is priced at £799 though from Decathlon only. 

Halfords has a full carbon fibre racing bike for £1000 but is finished off with part Tiagra and part FSA gear/brake sets which keep the cost down but add to the weight making the carbon framed bike pretty much as heavy as the Ultra. The wheels are fairly good, but again add to the weight issue.

Evens were confusing as they have frames with differing levels of kit on them which caused me confusion trying to work out which was best value. Their bikes felt quite heavy and sluggish to ride. An expensive place to buy a bike. I think that the Cycle to Work scheme is keeping them afloat to be honest. 

Evans do test rides too with no obligation. Try a store if you can that stocks more than one brand of bike.

A couple of lads I know have used Road cycle exchange but they knew what size they were after. I'd suggest test rides and try decathlon if you live near one.
For a first Road bike I'd definitely only buy something I could do a test ride on - you will ride it more often if you're happier with it.
If your mates have any try theirs...

Buying near new/mint second hand will give you best bang for your buck and it's a buyers market with so many people either upgrading or simply not riding a bike and getting shot arfter a couple of rides.

I saw an almost new Bottechia carbon bike on ebay for £585 BIN, there are tons of very decent bikes in the £600-£700 range of all different types from racers to tourers, CX to high end sports hybrids.

Importantly too if you decide it's not for you you'll stand to lose less money buying a higher end near new bike that has laready lost most of its deprecciation when you bought it than you would selling on a near new cheaper bike like the Calibre

That looks pretty good for the price. One thing I'd upgrade would be the brake calipers - Tiagra level are a bit weak compared to the slightly pricier 105s. Probably cost you £35 to upgrade once you've sold the Tiagras. If you're coming from a mountain bike with hydros you're going to find road rim brakes, um, exciting.

Having said that, you're unlikely to find a disc-braked road bike in your price range with hydros, and at the bottom end of the market cable-operated road disc calipers probably don't give any better braking than 105 rim brakes.

Based on the stated overall weight the frame looks like it would be worth upgrading over time if you get the road cycling bug. Do the brakes straight away, then you can look at tyres (Luganos are a good commuter tyre but that's about it) and eventually wheels.

Can you actually go and ride the bike before purchase? The other thing coming from mountain bikes is that the road position can take a while to get used to so its important to get the right size frame and finishing kit. The right size frame might feel a bit big in comparison because you'll be riding with your weight forward and back flatter.

https://www.evanscycles.com/pinnacle-laterite-3-2018-road-bike-EV299415

Personally I looked at the above. Rear and front derailleur is 105 and plenty of upgrades possible all for £700. I tried It in the shop and was quite happy. In the end I took a risk and spent more on a canyon AL endurace (£1k) but I had a previous road bike so I knew I wanted a road bike.

Previously I had a Allez from specialized and was the same sort of price as the pinnacle with plenty of upgrade options.