Ok - been riding a mountain bike on the road since Julyish. Was doing fine with it - averaging about 11 mph. Did my first 25 mile ride in September. Really inspired me that I'd like to do longer rides (NO aspiration whatsoever to race). My DH said that if I really wanted to do that - we needed to get road bikes - because there was just no way we were going to do 50 or 100 mile ride on an MTB.

So - I kept hearing about how much easier a road bike is to ride. That my speed would increase without any effort on my part. How much lighter the bike would be. How much easier the hills would be.

I got a Trek Pilot 1.2 w/the Flat bar option. I just was not comfortable being in a laying down position with a true road bike handle bar. Took it out for the first time today.

I'm dying. It was so much harder than it was on the mountain bike! We did our normal 18 mile weekend ride and I only averaged 8 mph! The hills nearly kicked my ***. I didn't have to get off and walk like I did when I first started - but damn close.

So the whole time we're riding - my DH is chatting in my ear about all the things I need to be doing....keeping a constant pedaling speed, not adjusting how I'm pedaling but changing the bike to allow me to keep the same pedaling.....etc etc etc etc.

It's all gobaldy gook to me! I hear what he is saying - I've read the posts on the board - but I just can't get it from someone telling me or reading it. We're out in the boonies - so riding with a group or getting to a LBS is a major trip.

So - does anyone know of a good beginners DVD that would show me basic technique for riding and hill climbing? I need to have someone say the words and then ~show~ me what they mean. I'm still using platform pedals - haven't gotten the nerve to try clipless yet. I know that will help - but I'm just not ready.

Any help will be appreciated. I'm trying not to be discouraged by today's ride. I do recognize that it was my first time on a road bike so there is going to be some getting used to it before I'm comfortable. And maybe my expectations were too high based on what everyone kept telling me. And it certainly didn't help that I need to get the bike tweaked a little bit - the brakes are too wide for me - I could only reach them with the very tips of my fingers so they were really hard to squeeze. And I think the stem or something needs to be changed because my neck and shoulders are really in pain. On my MTB they got me a taller stem and shortened my handlebars and that made all the difference in the world.