Quote Originally Posted by itifft
I'm divided between swimming in the Mediterranean for the first time in 25 years or hiking in the Pyrenees ... my gosh I feel lucky. Haven't got much more than 2 cents to rub together, but I am one lucky girl.
Wow--you ARE lucky, if those are your alternatives to cycling! That's fantastic.

I read you loud and clear about LBS folks--I used to say that a middle-age woman has to practically slit her wrists to get attention in most bike shops, but that seems to be changing. I've found an LBS that's run by a husband-and-wife team, and they positively cater to me and my ilk, and they're not the only ones--most of our local shops seem much friendlier and more willing to help the non-young-male racer types than perhaps a decade ago. At least that's my experience in my neck of the woods. Not sure about anywhere else.