I was an out-of-shape overstressed middle-aged lawyer when I was diagnosed with colon cancer at age 47. I had surgery and chemo, and then started swimming. Then three hurricanes blew all the shingles off the roof and into the pool, and wrecked the house, so I started cycling while in a rental. I was in pretty good shape when the cancer came back in my liver a year later. After more surgery and brutal chemo, I started riding seriously, and haven't stopped. I'm in the 30% five-year survival category (stage 4 colon cancer), and I passed 3 years and 10,000 miles since chemo last summer. I think cycling has saved my life.

That said, I can't say that I love riding. Like most exercise, cycling is frequently boring, it sometimes hurts, and makes me tired. While I don't love riding, I love having ridden. It is a major part of a major life change.