Originally posted by MikeR
First, find a GOOD Local Bike Shop. If you do, the rest is much easier. I started with an LBS that seemed to only be interested in making a sale. After talking on-line with other cyclists about what the LBS was telling me, I realized that they were not for me.
This is good advice. I have found that many bike shops only sell you what will generate the most profit for
them, not what suits you. Many of them give that impression by the way they behave when you walk in, so you might be able to pick it.
As far as I am concerned, the best way to build fitness for riding is by riding. Walking up stairs and hills will help, but it is really no substitute for riding.