rousseau-

congratulations! I took up biking last year May & was hooked after a few rides, doing 1400+ last year. I cannot answer your leg question - I did though get sore knees early on. Believe now I was riding with the seat a little too low, and going for too high a gear. Better go for higher cadence & lower speed.

The big health benefit, and it surprised me was my breathing capacity. After a couple dozen 10-25 mi rides I felt like my lung capacity tripled.

btw I'm a sea kayaker, enjoy hiking & snowshoeing. But the endorphins are never as good as with cycling

Peter