I thought that too -- if you don't feel like it, don't. And my other thought, ride alone for a while. OR, if you really don't feel comfortable riding alone, find some women to ride with.

And I KNOW your frustration from that bad ride you described: been there, been struggling to hide the "temper tantrum" too. There's just nothing quite like knowing you're having a bad time, and having someone call attention to it! For me, keeping up with DH is hard. I dread him getting a fast bike! It's been brutal learning to just go with what's good for me, and quit worrying that I'm not keeping up. I get where we're going, and usually have more miles left in me when I finally do get there than he does!

Karen in Boise