I did my first ride on an actual road this morning!

It makes me feel both better and worse about trying an organized ride. My friend took me on his "daily route"...I think he was trying to kill me! lol. We went about 16 miles...the elevation where I live is about 3,800' and we dropped down to about 2,000'...and this being the foothills, you get lots of rolling ups and downs, as well as some steep and long hills. The downhill trip was exhillarating and a bit scary, as I now have a new top speed to brag about...31 mph! The uphill trip was SO HARD! We had to keep stopping so I could rest, but I only got off and walked one short section (my excuse is that it was a steep hill, a blind curve, and there was a 3' deep ditch right on the edge of the white line! Also, I was really tired!) So, now I know how far I have to go in terms of stamina, strength, and being in control of the bike. But on the other hand, I made it through the ride, it was really fun, it felt good to push myself and see what my body could do, and tonight I feel great. I'm really glad I "graduated" to the road!

I also learned something about platform pedals. They hurt really bad when they hit you in the shin after your feet fly off! I guess that's a lesson in paying attention to what gear you're in. I have a nice fat bruise to show off to my friends at work.

Thank you so much to everyone for all the supportive advice and comments. Seems like it would be very easy to get discouraged when you're first starting out. It helps to know that I'm not the only one who's ever gone through these just-starting-out challenges. I was also thinking that when I was a kid, riding a bike seemed like second nature. But as an adult, it's so much more difficult! Is this because we have better judgement as adults? Or because we know the risks? I don't remember ever being scared on my pink Schwinn with the floral banana seat! Ooooh, and I had one of those tall flags on the back and a personalized bike license plate. Those were the days!