CDR, great read! Telling it like it is. My real power is much much lower than the "Strava Guess", although I do allow my power to get uploaded (I'm not a threat to anyone). A while back, when comparing my numbers to others, I was a little surprised that I could stay in a crit and make such low numbers comparatively. I've figured that out, now.

No kidding on how hard the women's races are with the tiny fields we have. It is so hard to hide and recover in a 15 rider field. Throw in some wind, and it's even worse. I did a men's race yesterday which featured a relatively small field (20 or so), and once again - small field, work harder, and the wind killed me.

I can't average 25 MPH on my own, either (I do 22-23 in TT's). In a group, yes - the women do travel at that rate in most crits. The men are faster, 26 - 28, and when they want to shed folks or start attacking, it goes up to over 30 and strings out. Crazy fast. You're right, getting in to those races and working on speed is a great idea. However, be a good, confident bike handler before you do. Things happen quickly over 26 MPH.