I owned a bike briefly about 6 years ago. At the time I had been smoking for about 26 years (started when I was 14 or 15), anywhere from 1 to 3 packs a day. I couldn't even make it one mile around our neighborhood, there are a few hills, but only one should give a newbie any real trouble. I have been smoke free now for 16 months and its like I never smoked. I've had a new bike now for about a month and am accelerating up most of those same hills that I couldn't get up at all 6 years ago, though my weak knees still have trouble with the one. I used to hate reformed smokers who looked down their noses at those of us who still smoked and I try really hard to not sound the way they did to me, but I will say this. STOP!! I don't care how you do it, just do it. You may not be suffering the effects of smoking yet, but one day you will, and by then it may be too late. I can't really take credit for stopping. I tried everything under the sun and couldn't, then I had sinus surgery and when I woke up after surgery I had no desire to smoke and haven't smoked since. Something in my brain got reset while I was under anesthesia, that's all I can say. I can count the number of times I've had a craving on both hands and even those cravings were gone almost before I even realized I was having them.