How much does the bike really matter?

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Thanks again so much for all of the replies.

I talked to my teammates a lot today and one offered to sell me her extra Ultegra (!) components very inexpensively. We didn't talk exact numbers yet, but I'm expecting it will be a huge upgrade to go from all Sora components to Ultegra.

I also am planning on going to a physical therapist for another bike fit. I have a history of weird orthopedic injuries and think I could really benefit from a PT's view of my biomechanics on the bike. One of my teammates said that I sometimes bounce when pedaling, which is likely a fit issue too. I'm hoping the PT will also be able to suggest a different saddle that I can try.

So, in conclusion, I think I'm going to stick with my current frame, but upgrade different parts of the bike. My priorities are:
1) Wheels (will buy Neuvation wheels through the team)
2) Tires (bought a pair of the Vittoria Open Corsa Evo tires yesterday and love them already!)
3) Sora --> Ultegra
4) New saddle (possibly one with cut-out?)
5) Swap out adjustable stem for lighter one.

I'm excited! It's not a new bike, but am guessing it will feel like one, by the time I'm done

I think I am feeling better in general about my bike too because I was still able to be relatively competitive during the race today. I didn't win, or even place that well, but I was really happy with how I did. We had about 15+ women working together towards the end and I won the sprint from that group! I realized that I was still able to beat some people, even though I know at least some had nicer bikes. It was pretty awesome!