John - I bought my new Schwinn in February, intending to ride it in the Seattle-to-Portland bike ride last week. I had a great time riding for the first few outings, but knew I could feel better, so I took it to my local bike shop for a fitting, and found out that it is actually too small for me (is 15"; I need 17"). I bought it off the floor at Target, so didn't know there was a size difference although the bike I bought was right for this purpose (a hybrid street bike).

That kind of took the wind out of my sails; I became fully beached when I injured my hand (nerve problem; lost complete control; is slowly returning to normal), and ended up selling my ride registration. Was glad to get my $90 back!

I've been feeling down about not accomplishing my goal this year, but was boosted by Bill Bell from NWPF and Team Parkinson's who rode in the ride last weekend and said he was glad I was not there - temp in the 90's, and lots of crashes because they let 1500 more people ride this year - a total of 9500!

So, I'm feeling better about it. I plan to trade my bike in to a Seattle shop that takes trades, and get a bigger size - then start all over again! Now I will have a year to train.

Bottom line - when I was riding I felt really good! A great form of exercise for me; less exertion than even walking, and there's always a great breeze in your face. Plus I live in a rural area with beautiful farms and water views, so I love to get out!