Even more encouraging, most recreational cyclists probably don’t need to worry too much about their bones. “The studies to date have looked primarily at racers,” Smathers says. “That’s a very specialized demographic. These guys train for hours at a very high intensity. They sweat a lot. They never go for runs. They don’t usually do much weight-lifting,” to avoid adding bulk. “They’re strange.” He knows. “For competitive riders, I’d recommend spending some time weight-training.” If you do race or train hard and often on a bike, consider a bone scan, he says. “It’s good to know your status.” For himself, his racing career ended with hip surgery and four metal pins in the joint after his second severe crash. “I do miss racing,” he says. On the plus side, his latest bone scan, completed just weeks ago, shows that his bone density, while still low, is increasing.