new rider

[KkAllez]

Here's my advice and this comes from someone who rides with men and just DREAMS that other women in her area would ride: INSIST, and I mean INSIST that at least once every two weeks, okay in all honestly, once a month, that when you go out and ride that there is no goal for MPH or cadence and NO racing, and you just go out and have fun.

The reason I say this is because FOREVER I seemed to ride when the goal was not to go under 15 MPH average or under a cadence of 80, this when the wind was howling and hills like Mount Everest. When there was not a ride that it wasn't an all out race for 30 miles or more. Finally, one day I put my foot down, "We are riding out to Palava and we are having FUN on this ride and no one is racing and no one will even dare look at their cyclometer! Okay?!" but don't ever add "or else" or "or I ain't going"

In other words, sometimes just have fun and not have a goal. Especially when you ride with guys. I haven't burned out yet and I believe that is because some days I just pretty much state, "today we are observing the botany as we ride" days.

No matter, you'll have fun. It is addicting ya know.