Quote Originally Posted by rcolli View Post
Hi - I'm brand new at this and pretty disgusted with me right now.I am 56, in pretty good shape and lost about 110 lbs...
That is QUITE AN ACCOMPLISHMENT!! You have NO reason to be down on yourself. Everyone has to start somewhere, right? I got over my fear of falling on the bike by a) practicing on the grass and b) doing it in slo mo in front of the neighbors. Once I got it out of my system I was ready to roll.

Momentum is your friend. It will keep you upright. Keep your eyes focused ahead on the road rather than looking down at your feet on the pedals. And then think of a song to get you into a rhythm and pedal around in your yard. Or try it at a nearby church parking lot or school. And having an experienced cyclist there to guide you will help boost your confidence as well. Are there any ladies that work at your bike shop that could give you a private lesson until you get the hang of it?

Go at a pace that's comfortable to you. Take it slow and don't pressure yourself to do more than what you are willing to commit to. There's no set timetable on when you should be cycling X number of miles by X number of days. Listen to your body and if your head isn't in the game, do something else and come back to it later. It will come to you.