Ignore me, I'm a n00b.
I haven't ridden a bicycle since puberty caused me to outgrow my childhood bike. I loved that bike. It was blue. With clouds on it.
But I've been thinking about how much fun other people seem to be having on their bicycles, so this weekend, I bought my first adult bike. It's a Marin Larkspur, the best bicycle I can afford (and also the second-cheapest thing in the bike shop). My Friendly Neighborhood Bike Shop Guy helped me choose a bike with a small-sized frame for my short body, and gave me some helpful advice on how to start, stop, and change gears.
This morning, before the rest of the city was awake, I took my new bike to a bike/walk path to try it out. There was much uncertainty and wobbling at first, but it didn't take long before I was getting the hang of it. I succeeded in riding five whole miles at nearly 7 miles per hour- impressed? No, you aren't, and that's reasonable of you. It's a starting point, though, and I'm looking forward to learning.
Someday, I'd love to use my bike to commute to work. But I live on the top of a ridiculous hill, so that's in the misty future, when I have strong legs and good reflexes and am fairly confident that I won't fall off the bicycle into traffic. My first goal is to improve to where I can comfortably ride 15 miles per hour for 20 miles, so that I can join in one of the city cycle club's casual rides with some hope of keeping up.
The forum invites me to introduce myself, and so I am. I suspect that I'll be reading a lot more than posting, because I have lots to learn, and little to contribute. But I've enjoyed reading the discussions on this forum today, and I'll be around, reading and learning.