Thanks again - I will begin looking for a Terry and checking the spoke count as well. This may sound so foolish to you, but do all women's bikes now have that bar ??? As a girl, boys bikes had a bar and girls bikes did not - I liked not having that bar in the front (mostly because I am so short) but I am presuming that is for support and the structure of the bike.

As a side note about weight - I did just find out that I have severe Hashimoto's Disease (common thyroid disease) but my thyroid has been non-functioning and thus this is part of my weight problem. Thanks for letting me know however, about the glucose check - mine was fine -but I have gone for YEARS with this condition - suffering from exhaustion- and had no idea what the problem was. Women need to be made more aware of these problems that can sneak up on us !!! A simle pill (for the rest of my life) added to my daily schedule has made a world of differnce in me and now I feel the freedom (the energy) to once again pursue a sport !!