To answer Mr Rodgers' question, when everything is right on a bike, and everything fits, the bike becomes an extension of the rider. That is a lot more likely to be the case on a properly adjusted $1000 bike than it is on an old beat up Wal Mart special. When the wheels are wobbly, tires not holding air, and the gears not shifting smoothly, etc, etc., a lot of the rider's effort is wasted fighting the bike, or your own discomfort in the case of a bad fit. You can do it, but it isn't much fun.

We all had the experience of riding some piece of junk as a kid and somehow enjoying the experience anyway. Part of that is just being a kid. But I also seldom rode more than a few miles as a kid before I had to dismount my bike. It wasn't until I was in my 30s that I had the epiphany that when riding a bike where everything actually works and is comfortable, I could ride 20, 30, even 40 miles on one ride. Never rode more than 5 or 6 miles when I was in high school, even though I was much fitter at 15 or 16 than I am now.