Not sure where you get the "conventional wisdom". In the weight lifting and body building communities it has been common knowledge for many years that bone health is similar to muscle health in that stressing them in combination with a proper diet causes them to grow and be stronger. On the other hand the "medical experts" seem to change their minds every few years about what chemical helps and which hurts.

Ditto on the posts that emphasize that weight lifting does not necessarily equate to big bulk freaky looks. A lot depends on what the exercises are and what you put in your body while lifting.

Cycling is a good exercise if you want it to be. Again it all depends on how you ride. That goes with free weight lifting in that what you get can be tailored based on what you want to do. Lots of free, or nearly so, help out there.