Hello everyone! My name is Mel and I have been cycling on and off most of my life (in recent years more off than on). When I was young I used to have a summer job that I cycled to everyday and loved it. Since then I've moved to a city and have done very little cycling. I bought a cheap folding bike (if only it had been a Brompton!) and have lost a lot of confidence in cycling because it's a death trap. I also had to pedal like mad to go about 4 mph.

My husband and I want to go on a cycle tour this summer and I decided to start training now. Step 1 buy a new bike. With a small budget and tiny legs I've had a hell of a time. I didn't like the feel of WSD hybrid bikes, felt a bit too "sit up and beg" to me. Finally I found a LBS that had a tiny custom built frame that was designed for a little lady. For a great price they offered to put it together with inexpensive components, so tomorrow I will have my first ever road bike! I've only ever had a mountain bike and the folding bike in my life, is there anything I should know about how road bikes handle or feel? Will it be difficult to get used to? Any words of wisdom will be greatly appreciated. I'm so excited about upgrading that I've already been drooling over new spd pedals, crankset, brakes...

All this from a girl who thought a bike was just pedals and wheels and handlebars a couple of weeks ago!