My first 20 mile ride

I went on my first 20 mile ride last Sunday. The weather promised to be brilliant, and in fact it was in the 80s. Stuart and I set off bright and early and started on the bike path. The day before I had gone for a ride with Pata, and although great fun, was feeling frustrated at not being able to stand up whilst on the bike, and also slow down enough at stops and intersections to check for traffic. In fact, I was having to get off the bike and then get on again, which not only seemed to take ages to get going again, but made me lose momentum.
On Sunday Stuart and I set off bright and early, and there were quite a few people on the path already. The combination of it being such a lovely day, and the confidence I had accumulated with our bike ride the day before, led me to enjoy the ride. So much so, that I found myself being able to stop at intersections and check for traffic before continuing. I had to dismount twice only, due to the bike path ending and us having to cross a major intersection.
It was a great ride, and although it took a long time (I was going at around 10 miles an hour), I felt a growing confidence with and on the bike. My beautiful Specialized, who has been named...Pallas Athena.