Hello.
I am very new to cycling and I am finding it a bit overwhelming as there is so much to know and it has its own lingo and everything. My husband used to belong to clubs and do century rides all the time but I am short and about 20 lbs. overweight and that is simply beyond me at this point. I am so new to cycling that I don't even know whether my saddle is adjusted right or if I need a new saddle. All I know is that after 25 miles my saddle is killing me. I do have some questions about cycling. First, my husband says I should be using straps on my feet. Is this really necessary before I get into good enough shape to ride well? I still can't make it up hills unless they're small. My husband says it would be nice to join a club but I'm afraid I wouldn't be able to keep up with the club or make any of the hills. We live in a hilly area. How long does it take for someone to be able to ride a bike up the hills? I can only stand up for a few pedal turns before I have to sit down again and usually the hills are much steeper and higher than just a few pedal turns so that I end up walking the bike. And how does one keep up their cadence when they come to a hill and have to shift down? How do you manage riding on public roads safely? I was nearly killed last weekend by someone wanting to run me down or shove me into his car and it scared the daylights out of me. How does one adjust for the wind blowing against you? Does anyone know of a good book for beginning women cyclists? I realize I have tons of questions but any help at all would be very much appreciated. Thank you.