Quote Originally Posted by indysteel View Post
I would strongly urge you to get engaged in a variety of activites in addition to cycling: walking (or running) hiking, kayaking, Pilates, yoga, strength training. Especially if you're worried about whole-body muscle development, it's good to balance cycling with other pursuits. Balance and flexibility are also important.
This is a bit after-the-fact, but I second this comment. I spent the last year commuting 40 miles/day by bike and was too tired to do any other activities. Now I'm having to go to PT to deal with back pain that developed as my core strength decreased. Biking is a great way to get out and burn some calories, but you definitely need more variety than just biking to be healthy.