Originally Posted by aaronmcd

Agree with others on no need to get a new bike. Unless you really really really want one and would feel 14 times better just looking at it. In that case spend away! As long as you have access to working brakes, shifters, water, and all the gears you need, your bike is fine.

I don't have a trainer, but it would be very convenient for races so maybe spend on that. If you've been riding for a year I'm you have everything you need.

What I'd recommend (after less than a year racing):
1) For flat, 4 corner crits just make sure you know how to draft and corner.
2) For technical crits, be quite comfortable cornering and moving up in a tight pack as well.
3) For road races/crits with rollers/short hills, you must have some interval training in, as everyone will ride very hard over hills.
4) Watch the front of the pack so you know when to accelerate - you don't want to accelerate and brake all the time, and knowing what the front is up to helps a lot.
5) If you aren't at the front through a corner, you will have to slow down. Anticipate accelerating out of the corner and watch several bikes ahead to time it right. If you don't time the acceleration right, you will let a gap form and have to accelerate twice as hard.
6) Watch how the guys in front of you are riding. You don't want to be behind a crash, and if you are you want to be ready for it.
7) Bumping from the side happens pretty often. Don't freak out about it. Even a good hard shove shouldn't knock anyone over.
8) I put these last because everyone says them ALL. THE. TIME.: Don't cross wheels. Hold the line of the riders ahead of you through a corner (people say "hold your line", but they really mean "hold the line of the riders ahead"). Don't swerve (in case someone is crossing your rear wheel).