Holy Thread Resurrection Batman! This thread was started 11 years ago!!!

But I second the bike riding thing, both mountain (or off road) and road biking are great ways to stay in shape...however...it can kill you! Most of the guys I ride with have had much worse crashes on their mountain bikes in the woods than on their road bikes, going twice as fast. Tree's don't move and they always win the 'right of way' argument.

My bike club just lost one 57 yr. old gal to a heart attack, the day after she rode 50 miles in the heat. She was not one of our stronger riders to begin with, she was a steady, regular rider, but that day she rode with the A group and they were going fast, she was hanging on at the back, didn't do any pulling, but still, the next day, adios.

I constantly have to remind myself that I'm only riding to stay in shape, I'm not in the Tour, and never will be. Going fast around corners is fun, no doubt, and dodging cars and trees will get your heart rate up, but dying ain't much of a living.

As Dirty Harry said, "A man's got to know his limitations."

If you are just getting into cycling, go find a good bike shop and ask them where/when the local bike club meets, see if they have an A, B and/or C group ride, start in the C group and work your way up. My club has a "Friendly Friday" ride every Friday for newbies, most clubs have something similar, that's where you want to start.

Riding with a group is better for you, and safer, for several reasons;

1. If you do go down, or even if you just get a flat, they'll be there to help you. (our last bike club President crashed while waving to a friend and hitting a pot hole at the same time, and broke her pelvis, hip and coxex, needed an ambulance, one other rider called 911 for her as she was unable to move)

2. Cars will 'see and avoid' a big group (but be more pissed off) than they will see a solo rider, and with today's Texting Drivers, that's a big problem. Solo, you are invisible to most cars, so be sure you stay way off to the side of the white line when you can, and NEVER assume they see you.

3. You will ride longer, and harder, with the group than you would ever ride alone, you can draft when you are tired, you can pull when you are strong, and you will want to 'Represent' so you will push harder than you will alone.

4. You will make new friends and learn a lot from them.

I have found that there are many similar type A (and AA, and even AAA) people in both sailboat racing and bike riding, (and flying airplanes too!) so you sailors will feel right at home with the bike guys! Oh, and several in my Bike Club love to drink beer too, just like sailors, (and pilots) so there's that....