Part of the "not improving" part has to do with exploring limits. I see it too, the same riders doing the same thing over and over and not changing at all. It's not necessarily a bad thing unless that person wants to improve. If they're happy where they are, so be it.
For exploring limits, aka Wolfpit Road:
http://sprinterdellacasa.blogspot.co...ic-and-me.html
Read about the Jamis:
http://sprinterdellacasa.blogspot.co...bike-race.html
When I find myself bogging down mentally (this happens every few years) I'll try some radical things. That hill really hard? Attack it in the 53x14. Does this straight seem kind of slow? Then slam it into the 53x12 and start hammering as fast as possible. I know I'll reach my limits here and there, but it's amazing what you learn on the way to the explosion point.
One huge way to change your perceived limitations is to first enter a race, then, later, enter a hard race. There's nothing like a race to make you realize just how much you don't even know you don't know. You'll be absolutely floored at how fast some of these guys go, how long they can sustain efforts, how fast they go around corners.
Then when you think you know, because you're racing, you enter a hard race (like if you're a 4, do a 3-4; if you're a Masters, do an open Masters race; if you're a 3, do a P123). Stay involved, even if it means you get shelled in 3 laps. You'll be absolutely floored at how fast some of these guys go, how long they can sustain efforts, how fast they go around corners.
Sound familiar?
It's like when I did one of my earlier Cat 2-3 races. I entered the for training as I was a newly minted Cat 3. I followed a guy I used to race against (and he beat me regularly) in an attack into a long sweeping curve, the first turn at New Britain (on my helmet cam clips look for Nutmeg State Games or New Britain). It's a curve that you pedal through because if you coast you'll get in everyone's way. Well, I followed the Cat 2 into the turn at warp speed and not only did we not pedal, we had to brake to avoid going off the road. We both laughed about it, got back going, and waited for the field. He told me we'd been going 42 mph when we started to drift. Normally you enter that turn at 28-30 mph, and on a fast lap maybe 30-34 mph. 42 mph was a different world.
When I was pedaling around San Diego area a long time ago I rode on some highway - well the bike path next to it - near a big stadium (Orioles?). I went up a climb onto a plateau area nearby, and after not finding any way back down to the highway, I went down the same hill back to the highway. I knew that I'd have to take an "exit" off the downhill onto a ramp onto the highway. It's a gradual curve, nothing major, so I didn't think much of it. I sprinted at the top of the hill, started to spin out, and went into an aggressive tuck. The ramp came up on the right and I started to turn in. Except the bike wouldn't turn in. I had to really force it to move off line, it was a bit scary how much it didn't want to turn. What I didn't realize is that I was going 57 mph (I thought it was like 45) and at those speeds it takes a bit more to initiate a turn in.
Explore limits.