Originally Posted by goose70

Seems like good advice. I think that I was falling into the trap of "I'm racing now, my job prevents me from training as much as the other guys, every engineered advantage counts!" Of course, that path takes me away from why I starting racing in the first place, which is (1) to have fun and (2) stay motivated about keeping in shape.

Bottom line and to summarize all of the advice: If I do purchase one of the above-listed bikes, it's strictly because I want a new toy, not because it's going to make a difference in my racing. And in fact, if I do make such a purchase I'd still be wise keep my 9 and continue using it for races. But most likely of all, I'll probably just keep the 9 and, if I must spend money, look for deals on select component upgrades.