That's why it's best to use bikes with pretty straightforward industry standard bits then you can sort everything yourself. I have ventured in the past into bikes with clever clever bits (looking at you dahon and cannondale) but lessons learned.
Someone else has said the OP is in Edinburgh.
I just wondered, as I don't recall the OP indicating gender
(granted only a small number of us aren't 
)
If you want to check out an engineers perspective on carbon frame bottom brackets and the general poor quality of the construction look up 'Hambini'* on t'internet but be warned he swears a lot.
Thanks - I'm a fan of his work and while some dislike his blunt and sweary delivery I very much appreciate his educated, insightful, and agenda-free assessment of the frames he encounters.
Rather than 'generally poor', I think it's reasonable to say that this is specifically an issue with (and difficulty of) the quality control and assurance element of manufacture of BB shells in carbon frames in a factory remote from brand manufacturer oversight. This, combined with a percentage game of choosing to save on net costs by skimping on QC/QA and accepting that the few poor ones that 'slip through' (poor enough to cause aggravation and be recognised as such) will require warranty replacement and the resultant cost.
scale. I think the graphs showing the different brands and their tolerances and range are informative (if you're going for a carbon frame). And paying more is no assurance of quality.I like to cycle in the long sleeved t-shirts sold for walking/hiking (tbh, I like to wear them almost all the time, on or off the bike). To compensate for lack of back pockets, I use a small waist pack/bumbag. It's not good for getting stuff in and out on the move but it keeps my phone, wallet, keys etc. safe and relatively easy to get to.
Not anytime soon. I already have 1.
Thank you for your reply, I am not quite sure yet as to what it is I want from a bike as I don't have much experience riding various bikes. I like to cycle long distances and I appreciate lightweight bikes. That is what I know so far. I am relatively new to cycling so I want to find out as much as possible so I won't have any misconceptions.Bike geo: there are three contact points you make with the bike. Backside, hands, feets. DO you generaly like the bars higher for a more relaxed position or lower for aerodynamics? Do you like the sitting horizontally close to the pedals thus putting more pressure on the feet or for the saddle to be further back thus giving a more relaxed position. That kind of stuff.
As to bikes made in same factory or production line: true, but the implication shouldn't be they are the same bike. They could be, or they might not be,
The brand itself: if you ride a £5k pinarello or a 5k BTwin then, wait, no BTwin even made a £5k bike? Are Pinarello making a huge profit on that bike? Sure they are. Are BTwin making a huge profit on any of their bikes? Sure they are. That's why companies exist. Do these brands send out different vibes? Yup. Should they? Dunno, up to the observer.
Do the frames feel different? I was VERY skeptical of this until I tried out some frames while using the same wheelset, tyres, tyre pressure, and back-to-back and I was amazed at the differences. The slightly more comfortable yet much stiffer bike was far more expensive than the harsher riding one. Is it worth the difference? Well this is where market segmentation comes into play. If you can afford the more expensive bike, you will justify it's purchase. If you cannot, then you will justify why you dont need the more expensive bike. There are those who can "afford" it but choose not to.
There are those who say to test-ride as many bikes as you can. Yeah, but you won't be buying a bike for a couple of years then. So I normally just go to my favourite bike shop and buy from their selection. Oh, magazine reviews.... don't worry about them.
Edit: lol i just realized i wrote "feets" but I'll leave it there for comedic value if you are so inclined.
Ok, but what are you looking for in your second bike? Lets face it, we all need at least three
After doing some more research last night hydraulic breaks seem to be seen as better and I would like to have a better groupset as it seems to be important. I really do wonder what is the difference in riding a bike with a more expensive groupset is like and whether there is actually any difference. I also never tried an aerobike so that's another thing I am curious about.Ok, but what are you looking for in your second bike? Lets face it, we all need at least three
