Why am
I riding?■ Your reasons are
(probably) going to
shift over time. Plenty of
men start cycling as a
way to save money on
their commute and to get
a bit more exercise, only
to end up spending their
weekends in far-flung
coffee houses, debating
the merits of Shimano
gearsets over
Campagnolo. But if all
you’re after for now is
fitness, then the benefits
are myriad. Norwegian
cyclist Oskar Svendsen
has posted the highest
ever VO2 max score —
the maximum volume
of oxygen your body
can use, the truest
test of fitness — with
a quite ridiculous 97.5 ml/
kg/min. If muscle is what
motivates you, Google
Robert Forstermann (or
his thighs) to find out
what cycling can do
for your quads.