Cycling is becoming an extremely popular way to keep fit and to lose weight as more and more people realise the benefits of it.

My Mentor, Roy Savery, is one of the fastest cyclists in the world for his age group. He trains by cycling really fast for at least a couple of hours most days.

I used to cycle a lot myself - cycling to and from work and going out on Club rides at the weekends and touring in the holidays. I found it a great way to keep fit and exhilarating and it gives you a great feeling of accomplishment after completing a long ride.

However, you can cycle for general fitness without having to do gruelling training runs like Roy. It has so many advantages to many other ways of keeping fit. For example, the weight of your body is taken by the bike whereas with jogging all that pounding goes through your body and puts a strain on the joints.

Cycling is a very enjoyable way to keep fit and lose weight. You can also easily incorporate it into your daily lifestyle by doing the daily commute or by nipping down to the shops. If you join a club it can also be a very social way to keep fit.

Here are some tips to help you get started cycling:

• A study of more than 10,000 people found that those who cycle at least 20 miles a week are half as likely to have heart problems as those who don't cycle.

• If you want a bike for riding mainly on the road, a hybrid bike with road tyres is probably the best bike to get. If you’re buying a new bike, don’t buy a mountain bike unless you intend to ride off road.

• It's important to have a saddle that's comfortable for you. Leather saddles used to be extremely popular for this as over time they would mould themselves to your shape. The downside of them is that it takes time to break them in and meanwhile they can be uncomfortable, they need to be oiled from time to time, which can stain your clothes, and they can be ruined by the rain.

Saddles with gel padding are very popular because they mould themselves to your shape without needing to have a breaking in period.

*It's very important for comfortable riding to have the saddle set to the correct height. To check this out sit on the saddle with the peddle at it's lowest point. Put your heel on the peddle and there should be a slight bend in the knee. If not then adjust your saddle accordingly.

• If you're going do a lot of cycling then it's worth getting special cycling shorts or long trousers. These are cut in a different way from ordinary shorts so that the seams are in a different place. I found that cotton underwear with made-to-measure corduroy shorts or trousers was a very comfortable combination. If you decide on padded shorts then you shouldn't wear underwear with them.

*The secret to comfortable cycling is to spin low gears. Do not strain and push hard in a high gear. That can lead to painful and damaged knees. I know from experience. With cycling it is NOT true to say, "no pain, no gain".

• Build endurance by cycling regularly. Cycle at least twice per week to get the full benefit from it.

• Burn fat by increasing your intensity, going faster, doing sprints or intervals. Do this by riding as hard as you can for two minutes then take it easy for two minutes and repeat this sequence a few times.

If you get started cycling in this way you'll get fit, keep fit, lose weight and have an enjoyable time doing it.