Originally Posted by canklecat

Since the OP is talking about local races, those are mostly crits. Assume comparable conditioning, those are usually won by tactics and the best sprinters. You don't need the most aero bike and kit if you're mostly drafting, especially a teammate, friend or cooperative competitor exchanging favors. You mostly need to be in good shape, recover quickly from burning matches and a turbo charged blast furnace in the lungs and legs for the final sprint. Most of the better racers could do that on a good bike from any era.

But if you're talking local time trials, sure, aero gear matters more, unless it's the niche category for retro riders.