Thanks all, keep responding...I am collecting all of your responses to repeat over and over to myself while I ride!

I have a new Giant OCR3. Compared to every bike I've ever had, this one practically rides itself. I can't believe I'm not sore at all from riding it and that I kept up with my kids for 4+ miles. The pedals feel strong, it's just that I am nervous from my past experience...granted with a cheapo bike years ago...where I dropped a pedal mid-ride.

I am so confused about shifting at this point, I am not sure of anything except that I keep chanting to myself not to cross the chain (big to little ring). There are so many choices and I still forget which side controls which part of the chain. I try to keep all of the gears in the middle because I can't change them very well. Every time I get to a hill, I think...can I make it to the other side in this gear? Because I am unlikely to be able to change while I am concentrating on not crashing on the downhill, and then trying to keep pedaling on the uphill. I can't figure out how (and when!) people change gears on hills. I'll be riding flat streets for as long as humanly possible.

Mostly, I keep telling myself...don't fall! I hate to be fearful. It makes me feel old, but crashing on a bike seems really scary to me. It's been years since I've ridden anything anywhere!

Anyway, pedaling...round and round...stop in a low gear...don't start up hill...no mashing. Got it! Keep the advice coming. I really appreciate it!