I find that as I meet other middle-aged female cyclists, many of us are former horsewomen that have too little time nor finances for horses at this juncture in life.

I'm almost 45 and raised, rode and showed American Saddlebred Five-Gaited horses back in the late 1970's. I outlived my Five-Gaited mare, who I rode on trails for pleasure and spent a lot of time working her in harness. She lived to such a ripe old age that Alzheimer's had set in. I have replaced her with a 2002 Bianchi Boardwalk cross-terrain bike newly outfitted with racing rims and slicks. I am the team captain of MS Team FedEx Ohio and I ride on the MS 150 bike tours.

Any show of hands of present or former horsewomen here? Many of the "bikey-ladies" here in Ohio rode hunter-jumpers. Not too many cowpokes, though.

BTW--My Bianchi still has that Saddlebred "look" about her--she's a mare!