I am 56, 4'11" tall and 110 pounds and have been riding any more than tooling around only since this past spring. I started with a comfort bike that was too big. I was very uncomfortable on rides over 3 or 4 miles. I bought my Cannondale hybrid and it was the first bike in my life that actually fit me. I rode a lot when I was a kid, always on bikes that were too big. I learned to ride a bike standing up because I could not reach the pedals if I sat on the seat!

I rode the hybrid for about a 1000 miles. I ended up putting slicks on it to do a 50 mile charity ride. Basically, I was trying to make my hybrid into a road bike when it is not a road bike. The ride felt harsh and somewhat uncomfortable. So, I bought a Trek Madone. It feels light and fast compared to the Cannondale. I really like the drop bars because of the ease of shifting and most importantly, the different options for hand positions. I like being able to move around.

I converted my hybrid into a quasi-mountain bike and gear hauler. I put on knobby tires which I run at a fairly low pressure. Now I love both bikes, each used for different types of riding.