"I've been riding with guys who do century rides and stuff, and they always compliment me on my riding skills and invite me out for rides."

Don't you want to director your questions to the people with whom you ride? Anonymous posters here aren't going to be able to answer those questions better than the experienced riders you know. Unless you're too embarrassed to ask them, of course.

Yes, that was a long-winded post, and I'm thinking a shorter post would garner more replies. But you're a newbie here, too, as well as to cycling, so it's OK - this time.

The few lines at the bottom of your posting were all you needed, along with, maybe, "I'm a newbie, I have two questions."

"I want to go faster, more efficiently.

"How does the number of gears really play into that? And when it really boils down to it, does quality of parts (specifically the drivetrain) really matter?"

My answers: the number of gears won't matter that much, unless you're racing. There's a reason more is better, though: you get a greater choice when you are trying to get the most efficiency out of your pedaling.

And the quality of parts doesn't matter that much. However, if you pay more, the parts will be lighter, helping you go a little faster, and they'll last longer than less expensive parts. All of which means you should spend as much as you can afford without taking food off the table, or forgoing rent money, or pissing off your wife (too much), rather than trying to save money.

In other words: yes, a Ford will get you to the same place a BMW will. Come on, admit it, you'd rather have a BMW.