I'm so psyched to read this thread. I'm in a similar situation, so maybe y'all can help.

I want to do a charity ride for the local zoo in early September. There's the "family ride," which is between 11 and 15 miles, which seems a little too easy. Even though I'm a new rider, I don't really know if I want to ride with a pack of elementary school students. But the next ride up is 40 miles. On my big, heavy Kona mountain bike, that seems insurmountable. I want a challenge, yes, but I also don't want to set my self up for failure (or to be stranded halfway through the course.)

I just found out about the ride and am trying to figure out if I can train to get ready for the 40 in time -- assuming my MTB is up for it. (Right now, I can do between 10-12 miles on the paved bike path no problem.)

What say you, ladies?