Hello everyone--
I am very very new to cycling, and am so very excited to have found this forum!! I have many questions, and have been perusing other forums, finding some answers but mostly lots of testosterone and uber-competitiveness (not to knock that, just not where I am at right now!!). This past March I purchased a Trek 7.3 FX WSD, after not riding since I was a kid. I wanted to start cycling as a form of fitness for weight loss, and started doing some spinning classes. I also wanted to get into shape for a biking/hiking trip to the canyons in Utah that we took this past August (which was amazing!) and now I am hooked! I am in much better shape now, take 3 spinning classes a week. I am a bit old to be getting into this as a newbie (51 yrs old), I think, but better late than never, right??
I haven't done much on the road with my Trek, however, maybe only 5 or 6 rides and not too many miles, and now we are getting close to winter. I originally got the flat bar bike because I have had some neck and back pain issues and thought the position would work better. However, now that my fitness has improved I find I am doing much better with the pain, and can do a lower position in the spinning classes.
My goal is to improve fitness and cycling as much as possible over the winter, using an indoor trainer, getting out on the road when I can (need cold weather gear!) and continuing spin classes (not the same as road training, I am sure, but it is something, right?). I will be saving my money, and if the training goes well and I am still as fired up about this as I am now, I would like to purchase a road bike next spring. My goal also is to get ready to hopefully be able to do some group rides next summer, and will be looking for a good supportive group to workout with. I am sure I am going to have lots of questions along the way, and hopefully some successes to share, so I am so psyched that I have found this forum--it looks like the perfect place for me!!