Sounds like some great ideas there. I have large shoulders for my size and have always relied on upper body muscles as a result, so it sounds like I should definitely work on controlling that....I never ride in a pack, which is to say I never race - I would be a nervous wreck riding that close to another biker. I don't know how you manage to keep your eyes on everyone around you....I just do a lot of solo or "with one or two other" kind of riding, so I probably wouldn't have to worry about having aerobars on all the time. I'm about to move to Longview, TX (near Tyler for those of you who know the region) - am really looking forward to being able to ride on those back roads....