Originally Posted by
aliasfox
There are riders that I'm faster than, and once I pass them, I don't generally see them again
There are riders that I'm slower than, and once they pass me, I rarely see them until they sit up to do a cool down lap
Then there are riders who seem to start/finish a lap within a few seconds of me, but often times do better when I (and my body mass) ought to do better, and do worse when I (and my body mass) ought to be the one suffering. No idea who deviates more, and how much.
No way to tell with all the variables, including the other rider's mindsets. Keep in mind that flat terrain is constant peddle/no coasting or you fall off the pace. Different animal than up/down. I don't know about rail trails. Also keep in mind you're getting into the dangerous territory of CAT 6 racing.