[DrBob]

Agawam Mass? When I was a little kid, my grandmother used to take me to a little amusement park name Mountain Park...she'd play BINGO while I rode the rides. I think it was in Agawam...been 30 years though.

Anyway, front wheel skids are not unheard of, but they are not common either. Make sure you use both the front and read brakes, as you will stop 40% faster using the rear brake rather than just the front.

Stick with it, and work your way up slowly. Local shopping malls and schools offer large parking lots to practice your low-speed handling, and residential areas offer slow-moving traffic to work your way up to being around cars. Others have said it, but you really should take the MSF course. It will make you much more confident in your abilities, and make traffic much less intimidating. They will also teach you lots of handy tricks, like where to stop at an intersection so your foot is not in the oil that leaks from cars, how to pick up you bike if you drop it, and most importantly, how to not drop it to begin with.

have fun and ride safe!