There are any number of books or blogs about getting started on a bike.
Roadbikerider.com has an article this week called Road Bike 101 or something like that, which goes through the basics and then some, and has tips about choosing anbd buying a bike.
If there is a bike coop near you, that would also be a good place to start.
If you have knobby tires on your bike, changing to smooth tires would be a start.
The old man that sails past you may ride 3,000+ miles a year for the last 20 years; don't expect to jump on and slay it (unless you are already an endurance athlete in another sport, and maybe not even then).
Last edited by MikeWMass; 11-10-18 at 06:31 PM.
Reason: grammatical error