In my case not a lot I'm sure, as I'm pretty new to road biking. But as it is with most competitive sports, one does not want to start out at a disadvantage. In my case I'm riding a bike that weighs around 23 pounds as it sits, and I'm sure there is weight to be saved in the wheels and other places (although the ones it has aren't bad). Should I upgrade the wheels and call it a day? Leave it alone? I was also curious what you guys think about the relationship between bike and rider weight. I weigh about 185 (but I'm pretty skinny) so I'm wondering if the difference will be less noticeable for me, a person that probably weighs more than most roadies, as opposed to "weighs less than their wife" crew. Assuming all else is equal, how much slower would a good steel bike in the ~20lb range be than a spiffy new carbon job? Thanks for any input, these are just some thoughts I've been kicking around.