Hello. I have been reading and learning from you ladies for a few months. Thank you. This is my first post.

We rode 20 miles yesterday and got caught in a rain/hail storm 7 miles from home. We were on a bike trail and miles from shelter. Quarter size hail pelted us and then the lightening crashed all around. (We thought we were skirting the storm ... ) We were lucky and soon found refuge under a plank bridge. It didn't keep us dry, but it kept the hail off of us. It was like 1000's of big marbles forcefully thrown at us. We laughed and yelled "ouch" before we found the bridge. A bit of a flash flood occurred due to the sudden down pour, so we had to take to the road in a few places since the river was up and over the trail in a few places. Quite exciting and somewhat romantic and fun under the bridge. But, not something we hope to recreate any time soon. And, I learned another reason to wear my helmet even when on quite bike paths.

My husband and I (49 and 50) recently rediscovered cycling. We are now up to riding 15-20 miles 3-4/wk for a month or so. Mostly paved trails in the Kansas City, MO area. I recently purchased a Specialized Dolce and couldn't be happier with my choice. I'm 5'2", and the fit is perfect for me. He is 6'4" and we are looking to switch him from our kid's mountain bike to a road bike. It is a challenge due to his size.