@10Wheels, very cool pictures of Galveston and the 10-mile forray into Bolivar Peninsula ... They definitely brought back some memories.

@TrekmanDan, thank you for the welcome and for sharing your experience of the transition to road bikes. I actually went 2 days ago and got a Giant Defy 3 at my LBS (they accepted the Gary Fisher Wahoo for a nice bit of trade-in value, too). I've really enjoyed riding it so far, but think I need some time getting used to it (I had my first fall today! I was coming to a stop and guess I was stopping too fast, because when I put my foot down there was enough momentum to tip me right on over, haha... Nothing hurt except my pride).

I'm looking forward to being active on the forum... So far I've just enjoyed lurking in the background, utilizing the search function for my many questions. I also started up a blog (should be in the signature), where I'll be posting my daily experiences getting into a more physically active cycling life.

Thanks again!