Thanks so much for the support. It's made a huge difference. I've found that I actually am getting pissed off when something comes up in the evening to keep me from riding...that's new for me. I'm determined to get in a longer ride this week-end, even if it is "Hot as Hades".

Yes, I think I'll change my login name if I do the 35 miles and I'm not completely hating life while I'm doing it. That would mean I've transformed into "Newlysporty".

(And btw, this forum is keeping me sane during a mind-numbingly boring week of temping, where I have absolutely nothing to do but obsessively learn about cycling and read the news.)

So...I picked up my friend's bike yesterday (my loaner replacement for the vintage Schwinn). She can't tell me much about it, because she never rode it much. I haven't had a chance to ride it yet, because I still have to adjust the seat for me. This is what it is: Dolce Sport, Specialized A1 Max...I think that's what it said on it. It seems blissfully light and bouncy, and the handlebars are really padded. My friend complained that it mushed her girl parts painfully, though, because you have to lean forward so much with a racing bike. That's one of the reasons she never got into riding. I'm hoping I can adjust the seat to avoid too much painful "mushing" up front...right? It does have that ergonomic cut-out seat, but she was talking more about, well, the clitoris area.

What's really intimidating about this bike is that there are no numbers on the gears. There are just tiny little levers that barely come out of the handlebars. Now, I know it's been a long time since I've been on a 10 speed, but didn't they used to have numbers to mark what gear you were shifting to? And why would you get rid of those numbers, making it more mysterious? How am I ever going to learn how to shift this thing? How can you see what gear you're shifting to?

Also, these pedals don't have clips, but they do have the little straps that go around your shoe. Are there any little tricks to managing these?

Obviously, I just need to take this bike out to a safe place and get to know it, but any tips you guys can give me ahead of time would be great. Besides, I won't have anything else to do all day...

Thanks!