I'm all for light, fast bikes and wheels. If you have the money, why not?

Then take the new gear to the hill where you get dropped. Ride that hill fairly hard, like 70%. Turn around, go to the bottom, and do it again. Repeat over and over. Some runs, push a big gear until your legs are exhausted; other runs, spin a small gear until your lungs are exhausted. Do 20 miles of this (so, 10 miles climbing, 10 descending). Do this at least a couple times a week. When it starts getting easier, go faster.

It works. It really does.