Join a local bike club. Since you're in a bike friendly community, there should be at least one, if not several, local bike clubs.
I rode as a kid, and even into early adulthood. Didn't ride at all between about 1993 and 2008. At 41, I climbed back onto a bike, and started commuting. In 2012, I joined the local bike club, and started going on club rides. My first club ride was 12 miles, and I thought it was going to kill me.
Riding in a group, one can more easily push oneself. It also gives a greater feeling of safety.
Some bike clubs are very race oriented. This is a sad fact of reality. I'm a club officer, and my club is race oriented. As the Youth Cycling Advocate for the club, getting kids to ride bikes is part of my position description. They aren't going to start out riding 100 mile rides.
With that said, I think most clubs are supportive of and encouraging to new and/or inexperienced riders. You might just need to search for to find your niche group.
You might check around for local bike clubs. If you don't find them via the Internet, stop in at the local bike shops and ask. If you do find a club, stop in at the general meeting. Some clubs might have very formal adherence to Robert's Rules of Order, so you would get the chance to speak and address the group during some portion of the meeting. Others, like mine, wouldn't mind at all if members come to the board meeting and speak at almost any time--but it can be a way of talking yourself into volunteering for something.
Tell 'em you've recently gotten back into riding, and you're looking for a group to connect with so you can go on rides together in a group. Sometimes cyclists don't interpret words the way other interpret those words. A "short ride" to some cyclists is anything under 50 miles. Give them specifics like, "I'm comfortable riding 10-12 miles by myself right now, but I'd like to do more."
I rode my first Century, a 100 mile ride, back in June. This was the furthest thing from my mind when I joined the club 2 years ago, and sucked wind to complete 12 miles. Yes, I had to persevere through it, but I could not have done it were it not for the help of many other riders.
I still ride the easier rides in order to help other new or returning cyclists have a positive experience as they transition back into cycling.
= new reply since forum marked as read