oh, Nancybug, I wish I could give you a big encouraging, congratulatory hug for facing your insecurities and getting started. I was 5'5" and almost 300lbs when I started riding a Giant Cypress hybrid 3 miles - with many stops. I'm still a big woman, but now I train indoors with racers and triathletes and road ride on a Giant OCR3, with an easy evening solo jaunt being 20 miles. I hope to improve lots yet, but I want you to KNOW you can do this and you are just gonna love how much support will come your way from this forum and other places as well. The cycling community has lots of people who will judge you by the quality of your effort and determination. Not your pants size.

Also, a year or 2 ago, a woman started the spin classes I take - she was large and lamented how her thyroid had been removed - as she said, "I basically don't HAVE a metabolism anymore." Now she rides indoors and out and is so strong and vibrant, I have to look twice to make sure it's the same woman.

When I first started, I was so self-conscious, I not only stayed on back roads, I would veer onto dirt roads or long driveways when I saw "real" cyclists. I honestly thought they would come up to me and say, "please go home. you are embarrassing us." And what were the people in cars thinking but then I realized that almost everyone in this world has a big woman in their lives they love and worry about - a wife, a sister, a mom - so when they see me, I think they go home and say to that person, "guess what I saw today? a woman at least as big as you riding a bike and looking strong!"

You are going to amaze yourself. (and we get to watch)