nybiker, I hate riding my road bike in town, though you have to do it. I fell on my bike in the first time in a long time the other day when an excitable dog ran out to greet me and others, and a helpful person on a bike coming toward me stopped her bike and laid it down to try to contain the dog (which she knew) and it left me with no where to go. Couldn't unclip fast enough (because I was very slowed down) and...thar she blows...me down.

So I use city streets to get to the less traveled asphalt around my community which is not hard to do.

Crankin, as for intervals of 5 of 5 minutes each--I tend to think that most training regimens of almost any thing start too "high". There's so much I don't know about cycling but I am fit enough that it takes me a while to get my heart rate up to where I can feel that my exertion is in that 7 to 8 zone and 4 minutes would be "enough" and 5 is challenging, especially as you get into the "later" intervals. But I thought intervals were supposed to s***! Still your words give me the permission and courage to modify. A training exercise you cannot "live" with tends to not get done and do you no good.