Hi Jasper -

Welcome! I'm a (albeit, married) mother of three young 'uns (7, 4, & 2 yrs), work full-time 40+ hrs/week, go to night school (one class, but still...), have a small part-time business, ...and, oh yea, I ride! I just completed a 67-mile century this weekend, and plan two more in April. Soooo, you can do it, gurl!! Don't let anything stop you. I finally learned that.

My advice, and what has helped me get back into the sport (I raced approx 13 years ago) is get an indoor trainer. I have this one: http://www.cycle-ops.com/products/fluidsquared.htm. This allows you to ride whenever you want, however long you want, in whatever weather you want, whether it be the 10 o'clock news hour, for 15, 30, 90 (!) minutes, or during a NY snowstorm. You'll be surprised how and when you can fit it in to your busy life.

I've really found that the trainer has helped me in my outdoor rides, especially in the hills. Some evenings you may not be able to get to it, but if you hit it about 3x a week, you'll see an improvement. Go easy at first, though - I started out with 15-20 minutes a session, and am now doing about 1-1.25 hour (like I said, the 10 o'clock news hour...).

I wish you luck with your bike shopping and with the joy your machine will bring you...
- Kim