I'll third the "heart rate monitor" in spin class. It really opened my eyes as to work load and input/outpur.

I think that to really loose weight cycling, you hvae to put in a lot of road miles. That's a comment from my old body building days when I would ride 100 road miles a week.

nowadays, I'm just really happy when someone comments on my biker legs or how strong a rider I am.
Irulan.