Hi. I just found this forum the other night. After reader some of the posts, I decided that it was time for me to get serious about my cycling. I've had a bike for a couple of years, but I've also had a young child, and then went through a major move from Wisconsin to Atlanta. I finally feel settled, and ready to hit the road.

I went out today for a 20 mile ride. It took me about 1hr and 40 min. There are a lot of hills around where I live. I have questions about a bunch of things.

Cadence: how important is it for me to keep within a certain range? I think I was doing pretty well today, but on some of the steeper hills I went pretty low (like 38 rpm). I was on the lowest gear, and going something like 3miles per hour... it felt pretty silly.

Gears: I still make stupid mistakes, but my biggest question is how to anticipate the hills. The hills around here are often very steep and very short. So you go down and immediately up again, then down, then up, etc. Are there any tips or guidelines for when to shift?

Turns: I know there is a technique, but I don't know what it is! Any ideas?

I think that's all for today. I know I will have more questions soon. I feel great right now after that, my longest ride ever!

Thanks for being a great community. I look forward to hearing from you all.

Oh... one more thing. I wanted to go out the other day but I had terrible menstrual cramps. I felt very wimpy staying home in bed, but I didn't think I would do a good ride in those conditions. Is it better to stay home and rest, or should I just go out anyway?

Told you I had a lot of questions!

Sara