Thanks for the response carpediem, I have been racing on my 30 year old fuji, and one of the shop guys who just started racng and I have been dominating the 5s all spring/summer. I am planning on having a new bike before mid august, because I am doing a few races at the end of august then traveling to vermont for the Green Mtn Stage race in September before school starts. If I am getting a new bike, Id love to get it by then because I cant imagine doing very well in the mountains on a 27 lb bike. I wholeheartedly agree about what your saying about it not being about the bike, but also I think that to some extent it is. Just not the difference between a $3000 and 10,000. But in my experience, 27lbs with downtube shifters and 17 lbs with brifters is a huge improvement. Especially in sprints. Also, I am not good enough to be a cat 1/2. Especially not in the next few years. My long term racing goal in juniors is to be a 3 by the time I get out of juniors. I am most eager to get my ccat 4 upgrade because it would allow me to race in junior fields at all the races I do. Next time I'm around the shop ill see if they can find some takeoffs or used components I can snag a deal on. I would most definately do the whole buy complete and sell, but like you said that takes alot of time and luck with ebay. at the moment I am looking for old stuff to sell on ebay. That could help out with sudsidising some of the costs. I really also wish I could enjoy myself on a shimano bike, but after about a half hour on one, my hands are numb and my wrists hurt, my hands and shimano just dont get along at all. If i end up buying some different gruoppo parts seperately, I may decide to do a 1x10 setup with a 45t chainring and a 12-28 cassette. That would give me most of the gear range I need. Also I could buy a second, smaller cahinring for either big climbs or the winter when i am doing base miles on the trainer. What is the BF opinion on 1x10? Ive thought about it before, but got mixed opinions. Most of the negatives were not very compelling, and there is alot of talk either here or on weightweenies in the apex release thread about runing 1x10 with 48t and a 11-32 cassette.