"http://www.nytimes.com/2004/07/13/science/13lett.html

Letters

Enjoying the Ride

To the Editor:

Re ""Fast Pace, Hard Seat: Now That's Cycling"" (July 6): I ride my bicycle for at least an hour a day, as I have for the last 50 years. For this ride, my ideal bike is very different from the one described in the article.

I ride for transportation, exercise and pleasure; speed is not important to me.

My bike has a wide, padded seat that is tilted forward and a high handlebar that allows me to sit almost upright. This means that I don't have to arch my neck to look ahead, which can lead to soreness.

My bike doesn't pick up a lot of speed, but I get a happier, healthier and more comfortable ride.

STEPHEN WOLFBERG
Cambridge, Mass.

To the Editor:

There is another way to ride a bicycle that is more about pleasure than pain. It requires effort, but not competition (""Fast Pace, Hard Seat"").

The type of bicycle for this approach should have a wide seat, may or may not have click-in pedals and absolutely does not require wearing spandex. These bikes aren't on magazine covers or in the Tour de France.

To new riders who get their image of a ""cyclist"" from the Tour, this might sound backward. But bicycles suitable for a more leisurely approach to riding are out there.

GRANT PETERSEN
Walnut Creek, Calif.

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"Didn't this used to be called the ""The Lemond Effect""?"