Read about Washington's gay outdoor club, Adventuring, who ran a bike ride to Great Falls.

We all loved riding our bikes as kids, but as we get older, those trusty rigs usually end up gathering cobwebs. Too bad, because cycling's a great exercise for adults. And it's just as much fun as when you were terrorizing the neighborhood on your banged-up Schwinn years ago.

Not all bike frames are created equal. Since the backbone of any bike is its frame, it can be enlightening to understand how it's made and what that means for you, the cyclist. The goal of any frame is to offer extraordinary strength with minimum weight. However, frame strength is determined by many factors. Whether the frame is aluminum or chromoly is only part of the equation. The way those materials are used is equally important.

Bikes should be comfortable to ride. But if you think that a cushy ride comes only from spring-loaded, doublewide seats and shock-absorbing handlebars, read on.

Your Body--The Machine

You've seen it before--a frustrated driver on the side of the road trying to fan his overheated car. But the car's not going anywhere and neither is he.

The first thing to check when experiencing shifting problems is the rear derailleur, and the first item to eyeball is the alignment of the outer cog with the lower idler pulley on the derailleur.

Are your brakes dragging? If so, here are the probable causes:

The key element for any brand of clipless pedals to hold the cleat retention, is keeping the rider's foot secure and preventing accidental release.