Wpw, ladies, way to go!

Itsalldownhill, 43 miles would kill me I think. I go 15 and my "seat" is pretty uncomfortable.

Velocivixen, I am riding a Gary Fisher Marlin mountain bike that I got new when I graduated from high school in '95. It's been left outside all one winter on accident (we have acreage and my son got it out), brakes don't work perfectly, same old seat I started with that is very uncomfortable (although I bought a new gel cover that helps a ton), and the gears are CRAPPY to say the least. Some day I would love to buy a new bike but can't justify it at all seeing how much they cost. The bike weighed 26.4 lbs. before I changed tires (probably close to the same weight?) and added the heavy gel seat.

Roadtrip and Rubysoho, why are they called clipless pedals if you clip your feet into them? Or, am I thinking of something else? Do they make a difference in how fast you go?

Hebe, glad you had a good time and got a surprise ride in. I bought a van with built in car seats just so for DH moments like that.

I did my first "bike race" on Saturday. Turns out it was just a fun ride and not a race at all. That didn't stop me from trying to get done first, though. There was a husband and wife that passed me when I stopped to adjust my seat and I never did catch back up to them. I ended up getting done third out of a group of 16 I think. It doesn't say much, though, because 4 of them were ladies in their 50's who hadn't been on bikes in years and were all more overweight than me, 2 were youth about age 10, 2 more were the dads riding with the youth and that leaves 6, including me. I don't know what the other 3 people were like because I didn't look around enough before we rode off. Everyone else was out for a leisurely ride it seems - even the couple who were both in good shape. He kept looking back to see if I was still behind them and if I got close he'd weave around and take up the whole road. Haha. Goof, he could have ridden me into the ground anytime but was staying with his wife who also had their toddler on a seat on her bike. It was fun, though, and I finished it 6 minutes faster than when I practiced.

There is a bike race this Saturday I am looking at that is an hour away. We'll have to see what the family plans are but right now I think I might be able to work it in since it is at 6:30 in the morning. That's WAY too early for me but I'll force myself out of bed anyway. Fortunately I can stay at my in-laws which is about 10 minutes away.