Emily Furia - The Big Book of Bicycling: Everything You Need to Everything You Need to Know, From Buying Your First Bike to Riding Your Best

THE LIST OF ALL THE WONDERFUL BENEFITS A BIKE CAN give you (more sleep! better sex!) is almost endless. We give you a multitude of reasons to get in the saddle. Already got the cycling bug? Congratulations: You'll find plenty of tips to keep you pedaling.

You've probably heard that cycling is good for your bodyit burns tons of calories, strengthens your heart and lungs, goes easy on your joints, and so on. But that's not all. Read on to find out about some lesser-known perks.

Forget the dumb jock stereotypeaerobic exercise is exactly what your brain needs. Here are some of the cognitive benefits associated with cycling.

CONCENTRATION. Activities that require balance, quick reactions and decision-making skillslike martial arts, gymnastics and cyclingbest control Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) in children, says psychiatrist David Conant-Norville, MD. A Vanderbilt University study shows that these activities may help adults with focus and concentration, too. Participants who performed a short but complex exercise were 40 percent more likely to solve a puzzle than idle participants. The takeaway: If you're stuck on a problem, go for a ride.

MEMORY. For the hippocampusa region of the brain that controls long-term and spatial memorybigger is better. And as with the rest of your body's muscles, exercise makes the hippocampus grow. A University of Illinois and University of Pittsburgh joint study found that physically fit participants had larger hippocampi and performed 40 percent better on memory tests. Other reports show that exercise helps older adults retain cognitive function and avoid disorders like Alzheimer's and dementia.

Research has shown that vigorous exercise is so effective at quelling anxiety and depression that some patients have been able to reduce or eliminate the use of medications such as Prozac and Zoloft. In a study at the University of Southern Mississippi, participants who suffered from generalized anxiety disorder and exercised at 60 to 90 percent of their maximum heart rates for three 20-minute sessions per week saw significant decreases in anxiety, sensitivity and fear after just two workouts. Further research has shown that people who get regular vigorous exercise are less likely to develop anxiety disorders and depression.

I love to ride on a quiet road in the trees, climbing hills and coming down the other side. Cycling's not just a sport; it's who I am. AMERICAN PRO CYCLIST LEVI LEIPHEIMER

LESS ANGER. Exposure to plants and the outdoors has been linked to reduced aggression in inner-city residents. Choose the right terrain and riding buddies, and you can comfortably spend all day in nature on two wheelsgood luck lasting that long in running shorts.

MORE AMOUR. A German study discovered something that cyclists have known for a long time: Cycling gets us high. Exercise increases your body's production of endorphinsand sends them to the same parts of the brain that are activated when we fall in love.

According to psychology types, mastering a task that we find difficultupgrading to clipless pedals, scoring a point in the Tuesday-night crit, truing a wheel for the first timemakes us feel better about ourselves. Of course, negative experiences reverse the processall the more reason to get back in the saddle as soon as possible after a bad day. The President's Council on Physical Fitness and Sports concurs: Aerobic exercise seems to be beneficial in enhancing self-esteem.

It's true: Here are five ways that time in the saddle helps you in the sack.

KEEPS YOU LEAN. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, overweight people are at increased risk for high blood pressure, diabetes, heart disease, cancer and moreany of which can ruin your sex life faster than seeing your grandparents in the altogether. The National Institutes of Health confirms what we all know: Exercise, such as spinning pedals, is inversely related to body weight and the rate of weight gain with age. Another tidbit to spur along male slackers: Abdominal fat can add up around the base of the penis, making it appear smaller. You can lose an inch of penis for every extra 35 pounds you carry.

IMPROVES ENDURANCE. The aerobic conditioning gained from regular riding translates to greater stamina in other activities, including sweet romance, says Steve Owens, exercise physiologist and a coach with Colorado Premier Training. A study conducted by the Harvard School of Public Health showed that men over 50 who kept physically active were 30 percent less likely to suffer from erectile dysfunction than men who were inactive. In fact, according to the researchers, the most physically active men seemed to have the sexual ability of men two to five years younger. Schwing!

It seems like cycling has become cool in the U. S. When I started, it was an outsider thing. Growing up in Queens, New York, I was the only person riding my bike, and everyone else was playing normal sports. Nobody knew what cycling was. But now everywhere you go people know what's going on, and they watch the Tour. GEORGE HINCAPIE, WHO'S RIDDEN IN MORE TOURS DE FRANCE THAN ANY OTHER AMERICAN

GETS YOU IN THE MOOD. A University of Texas at Austin researcher found that vigorous exercisespecifically, cyclinghelped increase sexual arousal in women, both subjectively (the women reported being more aroused from an X-rated movie after a brief ride than they were without the ride) and objectively (blood flow to the genitals was significantly increased).

AMPS YOUR SEX DRIVE. Testosterone is directly related to sex drive in both men and women, making us want to have sex, pursue sex, initiate sex, and perhaps dominate the lovemaking. A 2002 study at Britain's University of Newcastle upon Tyne found that older men who exercise regularly produce more growth hormone and testosterone than those who lead an inactive life. Regular exercise can boost testosterone levels in women, as wellproof that regular rides will make you want to ride regularly.

Seven percent of readers polled by Bicycling admitted to wearing a heart rate monitor during sex.

HELPS YOU GET MORE. Riding on a regular basis increases the frequency of coupling. In an Archives of Sexual Behavior study, 78 sedentary but healthy men (average age 48 years) participated in a moderate aerobic exercise program mainly cycling and joggingthree to four days a week for nine months. At the end of the study, the men reported a significant increase in their sexual arousal, activity, function and satisfaction. One inspiring example: Their frequency of intercourse went up by 30 percent.

Funny you should askthat's one of the most common questions Bicycling gets from readers. The truth is, riders of all levels struggle to fit riding into a busy schedule. Here's how to make it happen.

If you think ride time will simply appear during your day, you might as well put your bike on Craigslist. Schedule it on the family calendar, in your datebook, on your work schedule wherever you can to be sure others will know you're busy.

Log every ride. It could be a total data dump or just the date and route in a notebook. There are multiple training benefits to this, but also the thought of a blank space on the calendar often strengthens the urge to squeeze in a ride.