Thanks for the encouragement. I am just getting back into riding and I was feeling overwhelmed by all of the long distance threads I have been reading - this site is amazing with amazing riders! However, we are on a very tight budget and cannot afford to upgrade. Plus, I love my hybrid - it is by far the best bike I have ever owned. Riding is great stress relief and I really need that - especially after a hard week at work. Last year at this time I was diagnosed with benign positional vertigo and when I went in for my annual checkup the doctor discovered an irregular EKG - sent me for heart tests and we found out that one of my arteries was nearly completely blocked. After recovering from stent surgery, I was told to become more active and walking and biking was recommended. I figure if I can do something healthy for myself such as biking, why not make it count and help out others? So I started looking up charity rides - my husband has always wanted to complete the MS150 again (he had ridden it years ago) so we set that as a long term goal. He is also training on a hybrid. I understand the reasons why road bikes are preferred, I just can’t afford one right now. Best of luck to you all in your riding endeavors and thanks for the kind words.