Originally Posted by
Surfer77
👆🏼 This. Index shifting is so good, you are not going to lose races bc you dont have electronic shifting. You will lose races bc of fitness, not being near the front, or having a bad sprint.
You can upgrade to Cat 4, maybe even Cat 3, with just a number of races and experience under your belt. You need to be comfortable bumping elbows with other riders, eating, drinking all while not making sudden moves = “holding your line.” When you get to Cat 3, you will have a better idea where your strengths are and build a “dedicated” bike to suit. imho.
Also this.
I built up my perfect race bike when I got to Cat 3. And now I've been a Cat 3 long enough to have built up several perfect race bikes. I finally figured out that it's not about the bike. (Wait, who said that?)