Yup, weights are a great way to train for cycling! Use all the muscles, make sure you're using the right balance of weights (ie. - the bicep and tricep muscles should be trained using the same weight)... and don't be too afraid to push some big weights some times. The key to weights, like with many things, to get the best results you need to do different styles of lifting throughout the seasons. A bit heavier weight will increase muscle mass which burns calories faster and makes your cardio work more beneficial. Really heavy weights with few reps and few sets will increase your power (really important for sprinting, or sudden steep climbs like in mountain biking), lighter weights with many many reps will increase muscle endurance, also very important in cycling. Learn the basics, keep your routine roughly the same for 6-8 weeks, only increasing the weights as you need to, then change up the routine with either a different focus (as I mentioned above) or using different exercises for the muscle groups. I also prefer free weights, and also like to integrate exercises like pushups, too. Machines will help you isolate a particular muscle very effectively, while free weights will help you train all the corresponding little muscles during a full range of motion. Both are good.

Take the free hour, learn all you can, read magazines and books, too, keep it interesting to keep motivated. You'll love it!!

Namaste,
~T~