Bicycle built for two

A couple of days ago I advised all my readers to purchase a bicycle.

What kind of bike you get is up to you. If you get a 10-speed road bike, for example, you don't need to keep the skinny seat they give you, you can always purchase a wider seat made especially for women. And make sure you get a gel seat for extra padding, and that the seat post has shock absorbers!

As I said before, I prefer a mountain bike with fat tires. One advantage of this is, you have to work slightly harder to propel a bike with fat tires. If you ride a ten-speed, with its narrow tires, you zoom along. But put the same amount of effort into a mountain bike, and you'll go a couple miles slower.

You must have an odometer put on your bike. This is essential, so you know how fast and far you go every day. You'll keep track of this in a journal, to record your progress, as you go a few tenths of a mile more each day. So, start out with 1 mile, then work up to 2, then up to 3, until gradually you're going 20 miles every day, really fast!

If you can find a riding partner, that's all to the better. Not necessarily on a tandem bike, but someone you can ride with side by side (when it is safe to do so) and chat while you ride or just have their presence to give you the impetus to bike.