Thanks again for all of the advice and encouragement. I do not think that my core strength is the problem - I can stand and pedal on the spinning bike for long time periods - I've gone as long as 10-15 minutes outside of class. I always get extra spinning time before class to help build endurance.

It was a little easier yesterday - my body seems to be starting to sort this all out. My hamstring is a little cranky this morning so should probably not ride today as I tend to over-do things and I don't want to reinjure...but will head to the club and check out the elliptical and see if I can do that without hands.

My new "intermediate" starting method doesn't have me gliding more than a nanosecond - left foot on the ground, right foot clipped to the pedal at between 12-1:00 - I push down and somehow my saddle slides under my butt and my left foot winds up on the pedal and off I go - this all happens really fast once I force myself to move. If I think TOO much about what my feet and legs are doing then I freeze...

Part of the thing complicating my recovery that is keeping me off the bike more than I like (and giving me less practice time) is my tendency to ignore pain when I am in the middle of an activity that I enjoy. The hamstring is probably back to 90% but I do NOT want to make matters worse and staff off the bike even longer. As much as I hate to skip days between rides right now... sigh ...I must be addicted to cycling