Cycling has long been known to be one of the best workouts foryour legs and a good upper-body muscle toning exercise. As ridersbecome more competitive and dedicated to the activity, they can seetheir bodies respond to steep hills, tight corners, and fastspeeds.

To get strong muscles and a toned look, it takes more than aleisurely ride through the park. One of the most popular trends infitness is mountain biking. This off-road approach to a classicform of exercise is exciting, rugged and challenging for the mostapt bikers.

If mountains or rocky roads aren’t your style, consider a moretraditional approach, such as bike trails or bikes for racing. Eachdifferent type of biking comes with it’s own unique style and willsatisfy different areas of your body in a workout.

While you can buy a bike at most discount stores, the best wayto find the wheels that are right for you and where you want to gois to stop by your local bike store. The sales professionals atthese stores usually have more training and experience than theaverage store clerk. They will be able to fit you for the rightbike and see to it that your bike holds up in years to come. Thisapproach may be more expensive, but in the long run, savesfrustration and time.

To get on the right path to a lifelong activity, it is necessaryto decide your purpose in biking. It is purely for pleasure?Perhaps RAGBRAI has always held appeal, or maybe mountain biking isjust the fix you need for your inner wild side. Whatever the casemay be, now is the perfect time to grab a friend and start cyclingtowards fitness and fun.