Hello from a Newcomer

[FionaBrava]

I just wanted to introduce myself before I started posting/responding to posts, so anyway, hello! I'm calling myself FionaBrava after my bike, a Bianchi Brava which I've named Fiona for some reason (it's a good name). I bought her in March - I was on a hybrid before that - and have been riding her a few times a week, but I'm aiming to become a better, stronger cyclist.

I consider myself new to cycling even though I've been casually biking for 2 years... only recently have I decided that I needed to learn about how to be a better rider. This is mainly because I'm getting roped into doing the Seattle to Portland next year (my longest ride has only been about 40-45 miles) and I have no idea how I am going to begin to prepare, even though it's a year away. I think that maybe it would be a good idea to start now so that I'm already in shape when the real training begins. I'm not the most athletic person, although I'd like to be, but I hit mental walls and would love to work on breaking them.

So, any advice for a newbie? I just moved to Seattle - how does one go about starting a training regimen when the rainy/cold season is set to begin any minute now and dark during the work commute? How do I even start learning to be a better rider?