Advice for a beginner "perfectionist"

[arielmoon]

I second this advice! Hit the road girl!!

[OakLeaf]

+1 to what everyone else said.

And check out some of the saddle fitting threads on this board, too. There's some trial and error involved in saddles, but measuring where you can, can eliminate a lot of error.

Maybe your daughter's saddle fits you, maybe it doesn't - just because you're related doesn't mean you're shaped the same where your parts meet the saddle. (My sister - my same height, very similar build and nearly identical bike frame geometry - rides a saddle that I wouldn't last five miles on!) A poorly fitting saddle can make you pretty miserable.

Also, the saddle threads talk a bit about what kinds of discomfort will go away as you get more used to riding, and what kinds will only get worse and should be addressed right away.

Good luck! Have fun! And welcome!

ETA: How long should you shoot for? Whatever makes you happy and makes you feel strong! Duration wise, at first you probably won't last as long on the road as you do in the gym. If you want to make some goals for yourself, be sure to set both short-term, very attainable goals, and longer-term ones that can keep you looking ahead and working toward them. You'll have a better idea of where to set those marks after you've been for a few rides and gotten a feeling for it.

[Smilie]

How exciting for you! As for purchasing a bike, go test ride several different kinds to see which fits you the best. They will measure you, and set you up on a bike that fits your body. Be sure you ride several and you will see the differences. Have fun riding!

[aicabsolut]

How tall is your husband? I'd want to borrow his Roubaix instead (I LOVE my Roubaix ). I'm 5'7" and I ride the 54cm.

The regular stationary bikes at the gym are a bit of a different workout. Spin class bikes would be a little more like it. I'd say just get out on the road and pedal. Try the park. Start out getting used to things and warming up on the flat parts. The hills may be quite challenging, but get accustomed to the gears and give them a try. You don't have to fly up them. Make it your goal just to keep pedaling all the way up. Keep in mind that they will just get easier the more you ride, because you'll get stronger and you'll keep shedding the excess weight. Use the gym for weight training and when the weather is bad. If you're just doing 30min workouts now, then start out with some short rides, particularly if you do those hills. Keep in mind that you may not feel quite as bad outside as when you're sweating buckets stationary in a gym. You can also stop and take a breather whenever you want. Just go out and ride until you want to quit. Then look at how many miles you've gone (rather than at your time at first), and use that to guide you as you work to improve your fitness.

[kfergos]

I'd wait to buy a bike until you have a really good idea of everything you'll want in it. Trying out your daughter's and husband's bikes will give you an idea of what you like and don't like in a bike, so you don't end up trading your brand-new bike in 6 months later for something you like better. Also you'll find you may have other uses you want to put your bike to (I use the same bike for 200-mile charity rides and for my 13-mile each way commute) that you can't guess right at the outset, but which would seriously influence your choice of bikes.

When you're riding, I suggest that you pay special attention to gearing, as well as feel of the ride and handling, since that's something that is a hassle, at best, to change once you've bought a bike (It'll be expensive to switch from a double to a triple after the fact, for example).