Originally Posted by
jwible
What I'm seeking is advice on getting muscular force and endurance increased as efficiently as possible.
This may sound totally stupid but I think that it is true: You need to ride like a totally clueless Fred that just got his bike.
What I mean by this is that you need to be riding in too big a gear (forcing leg strength) and ride lots of miles (because Freds count miles and a lot of time riding will build endurance).
If your knees survive it just might work out for you.