Wendy,

Congratulations on joining the fun!!

I'm about 6 months ahead of you. When I first started riding, I found it helpful to focus on time on the bike instead of miles - half an hour at first, then a bit more and a bit more. I'm just now starting to focus back on miles, and even with that, my goals are pretty modest. I'll never be a 25 mile a day person, and that's fine with me.

Going out on the bike paths is a great idea. I still do most of my riding on bike paths because it's much less stressful for me not having to worry about cars (and because of the hills near my house). I second the suggestion of using any and all gears necessary to keep yourself going. Lower gears are a newbie's best friends!!

Have a great time.

Cathy