New Year's resolution to get more exercise? Cycling offers a variety of local options

One of the most popular among New Year’s resolutions is the one about getting back into shape, getting out more and exercising.

Western Pennsylvania residents are being afforded more and more opportunities to do just that, through the ongoing development of trails across the region that appeal to walkers, runners and also bicyclists, some of whom rack up serious mileage.

Michael Zagorski, 43, of Plum started cycling about four years ago. This year, he logged 8,700 miles.

“We did the Westmoreland Heritage Trail, the Great Allegheny Passage, some trails up north in the Freeport area that run to Butler,” Zagorski said. “Through riding those trails, we ended up visiting a lot of new places.”

Zagorski and his wife, Kamila, are both avid cyclists.

“The rail trails are all relatively flat, which is helpful,” Kamila Zagorski said.

Cycling on some of the region’s trails was a good first step toward what Zagorski mostly does nowadays — road riding.

“I was a little afraid of it at first,” he said. “But a few years ago we met with a small group of people at the Lake Erie Cycle Fest who were doing some organized group rides.”

Zagorski also met and joined with the Cyclists of Murrysville group, which organizes local group rides.

“A lot of people get into it more once they find out about the groups,” he said. “Because they can show you the routes and roads that are good for riding.”

John Fournier, 61, of Latrobe has found plenty of good roads for riding in his neck of the woods, to the tune of 4,600 miles in 2020 and 3,500-plus this year.

“I’ve probably been cycling on and off for about 35 years, but I’ve been getting into it more as I’ve gotten older,” Fournier said. “I used to run a lot, and cycling is a little easier on the joints. But I could still get the cardiovascular benefits.”

As with any aerobic exercise, cycling promotes better heart and lung health. And, Zagorski said, it can be tailored to your skill level.

“I rode in Murrysville, and the thing there is it’s all hills,” he said. “So if you’re looking to get into shape, they’ll do it. They’re a real pain to start out with.”

Fournier said he splits his time between riding groups and solo outings.

“I do a lot of Derry and Ligonier,” he said. “There’s a lot of roads that aren’t too busy and are conducive to cycling — and there’s also plenty of hills.”

And there are plenty of people interesting in coming along. Zagorski and Fournier connect with other cyclists through the social-media platform Strava.

“It’s kind of like Facebook for cyclists,” Fournier said. “You can see the rides your friends are doing.”

Strava also encourages a little friendly competition with a “King and Queen of the Mountain” challenge called Strava Segments.

“People create segments on a particular part of the road, maybe a big uphill section,” Zagorski said. “And you can earn King or Queen of the Mountain ‘crowns’ for having the best time on that segment. You sort of virtually race against other people.”

Zagorski said he has racked up a couple hundred “crowns.” But his wife got into it a little more seriously — she has around 700 “crowns.”

“It helps you push yourself,” she said. “And even if you aren’t earning crowns, you can still see your own times and personal records, and beat those. It gives you a benchmark and something to strive for.”

But even without the crowd-sourced encouragement, Fournier and the Zagorskis said cycling is a great way to improve both mental and physical health.

“Just those benefits in general, and being outdoors — especially during covid,” Fournier said. “There’s no better thing to be doing.”

Getting a chance to travel more slowly and experience some of the region’s rolling vistas isn’t too bad, either.

“I just like being outside,” Zagorski said. “There are some great roads with wonderful views of farmland as you get out toward Greensburg, Latrobe and the (Laurel Mountain) ridges.”