Motivation is a big issue for me also. I went through some big life changes 3 years ago, and exercise (and taking care of *me* in general) got put in the back seat.

One thing I sometimes ask myself (I stole this from somewhere, btw) is: How will I feel after my ride? Quite often that answer is positive, and that helps me to get through the motions of changing, pumping up the tires, etc. Once I am on my bike, I don't think I've ever regretted it

I prefer trails to streets. We have a gravel foot/bike trail that runs through my town that I've been riding on. If there are a lot of people, I do need to take some care. But I'm slow. On yesterday's ride I averaged 6.4mph. I would far rather deal with other bikers and walkers/runners than try to blend in with traffic on the streets.

Anastasia