( I'm small (5 ft tall. 110 lbs) and sometimes I feel like my short legs limit me. Plus I have 650c wheels. Are any of these things going to put me at a disadvantage riding with taller or bigger riders? Hill climbing seems to be something I am good at because I am pretty light and have somewhat muscular legs.[/QUOTE])


I can relate: I'm 5' 2'' & 112lbs. I ride alone most times but have joined a group of 42 men & 2 women. If you had 700c wheels, for each cadence you would travel further for no perceivable extra effort. Riding in a group does teach you skills & the assisted effort is pleasant, as long as you know who to steer clear of. The social (& security) thing is nice too.
Hill work is also where I excel, but the long, flat stretches are where I'm weakest. This is where the big chaps in our group do so well. Nothing much we can do about the way we're engineered. I'm working on increasing my quads in an attempt to improve my weakness. Hope some of this helps. Cheers, Yasmin.