I guess it depends where you live, and what your goals are. When I started riding again as an adult. I drove my car to take my bike to a paved trail. At the time, I was biking for fitness and recreation, and would have thought myself crazy to commute by bike. (Twelve years ago in the suburbs of Chicago.) The path I used was within biking distance, but there were simply no roads that I felt safe traveling on to get to the path. There is wisdom in picking your battles wisely .

If you are biking for fitness and recreation, this is a safe enjoyable option. And even if you plan to commute, there is no reason to immediately plunge into "the deep end." I have just started cycling again, having decided to remain carless, and I have already made cycling acquaintances, just on the trail. In fact Team Estrogen, our sponsor is local!

Here are a couple of links to local resources. I recommend the Bike There! Map, it is available at your local shop. A visit to your local bike shop can get you some free literature and information (as well as eye candy ) Also, the people in the shop are cyclists as well, and can give you hints about routes to use and to avoid in your area.

http://www.metro-region.org/article.cfm?articleid=10799

http://www.shift2bikes.org/index.shtml

Also, you can ask your questions on this board. I have found the women here to be very emotionally supportive, as well as knowledgeble.

I hope to see you on the road,
Mary