Looking for my first raceish-oriented bike. Will be used in some not-very-competitive triathlons and a lot of 50-80 mile road rides. Going to turn my Lynskey Sportive into a light touring / dynamo-powered rando rig once I have the new bike.

Bikes I'm considering are all in the $3400 to $3600 range:

· Bianchi Sprint Disc (because Dat Celeste color) with Rival eTap. Geo felt good when I took a short test ride. Also, I realized I dig wireless shifting. I also like SRAM because the power meters are cheaper and it's easier to find 165mm arms, but Shimano has advantages (I have some decent carbon wheels I can swap on with just a cassette change if I go DI2), so it's kind of a wash.

· Bianchi Aria Disc (if I can find one) -- basically the same geo as the Sprint, but slightly heavier, with aero tubing

· Giant TCR Advanced (almost spot-on identical geo to the Sprint) -- identical stack and reach with 105 Di2

· Felt AR Advanced (little shorter stack and reach than the Sprint). My racing friends say it's a "nicer" frame than the Sprint or TCR and it comes with decent wheels, but it's mechanical Ultegra shifting for the same price as the TCR with 105 Di2. I could also get the 105 mechanical version for $2400, swap on my Reynolds wheels, and spend the rest on a DI2 upgrade some day if the frame supports it (not sure if it does)

Here: lighter, higher performing and $1k cheaper:

Giant TCR Advanced 2-Pro Compact Road Bike – Bicycle Warehouse

Thanks. I've gotten used to hydraulic discs over the years, though, particularly since I started getting a bit of arthritis in my knuckles.

Buying a bike you have ridden or had some prior experience on is prolly a good call, since you know what to expect...
Buying a bike, sight unseen, is always a crapshoot as to how the reality matches the expectations. It might be 'better' or might be worse, than expectations.
A lot depends on whether you're the type who finds things to 'like' about anything, or looks and finds things to dislike...
The numbers are a good start point, but most often they don't match the reality/expectation.
"love the one you're with"
Ride On
Yuri
not a suggestion for 'the one', it's something which totally rests on you.
specualtion is an internet 'mouse exercise tread wheel' or zwift...

If money is a concern and you want best bang for the buck, Giant is clearly your go to. Can't have a better price/quality ratio.

I've had several TCRs in my life and none of them let me down.

Ah, and.... Shimano > SRAM. If you can get 105 DI2, you'll be all set for a long time.

If you have solid past experience with a particular marque, and would stick with that marque. Changing brands is always a crapshoot, and you may not find out until it is too late.