It's good to see that you have found out that you can ride with some awfully nice ladies if you just supress the testosterone. Don't be in too big a hurry to go out and buy all the latest equipment. It's nice to have but not at all necessary to have a good time.

A couple of weeks ago I was riding with some friends, one of whom is around 50 years old. He was wearing tennis shoes, an old T-shirt, and some old swimming trunks. A group of A-level riders went by and we jumped onto the back of the group for a while. After a few miles most of us could not handle the 25+ mph pace and dropped off. The last we saw of Joe and his tennis shoes he was pedaling happily in the middle of the pack telling stories as if he was sitting on the couch at home.

It's all about the engine.