Why I ride a bike?

I am a guy in his forties, a married father of two boys, who plays sport and goes to the gym trying to keep healthy. But in the end, the gym has provided too many chances to stand and talk rather than move and talk. The time spent in the gym became counter productive I wanted to at least maintain a level of fitness and health that had gradually, as I got older, seemed to slip away.  Rather than simply give up I resolved to find a better solution.  
I've never found much joy in running and I swim so slowly that I doubt I could have made any improvement. I inital brought a mountain bike and explored the local landscape. It put a smile on my face and I eventually teamed up with a local friend to explore the trails and pathways of the country side. Great fun but what started with two guys in the wilds of England developed into a large group of guys prospectively turning into a club. Personally I prefer a more close knit gathering, so I brought a road bike. The difference has been night and day. Moving quickly, covering more ground, a sense of lightness that I never really found with mountain biking.

Perhaps if I lived in a part of the world with more trails and less rutted footpaths I might have embraced mountain biking more thoughly. For me the outside world has become my gym and I'm healthier and happier for it.
Lee