Have you ever taken a bicycle trip? I don't mean a quick ride to the grocery or an afternoon pedal through a park. Those are fun fitness-related activities, and as your most personal trainer, I encourage them both.

But the kind of bike trip I'm talking about and wish for all of you takes place over days. Three, five, seven days, even two weeks or more. Just you and your bicycle and the open road, pedaling through the countryside, seeing whatever there is to see, smelling whatever there is to smell, dealing with whatever obstacles and miracles come along.

I did my first long-distance bicycle vacation in France back in 1972. It was self-planned; just two citified, petrified couples on their 10 speeds, carrying 50 pound saddle-bags, hopping trains and reading maps that took us to the castles of the Loire Valley, the vineyards of Burgundy and the food stalls of Provence. It was risky, fun and fantastic. I can still smell the garlic.

Nowadays, adventure travel is a booming business, and there are organized bicycle tours to just about every point on the planet. To Brooklyn or Bhutan, from Maine to Mongolia, there are bike tours for families, for singles, for doubles — tandem tours are hot! — bike tours for the incredibly fit and the lumpy, and layabouts, too.

And that's why I'm such a pusher and peddler of bicycling trips. It's a great forget-your-troubles-come-on-get-happy vacation, and anyone can do it. The more you ride, the stronger you get, the more fun you have, and yes — gotta love it! — the more you can graze and guzzle and not gain an ounce. And that's not all. Bicycle travel is a low carbon footprint activity. You, too, can be a lean green biking machine. Pedal power to the people!

My most recent bicycle trip took me to the Veneto region of Italy, a little-known, wildly interesting area northwest of Venice. Our eight-day adventure included fabulous food, rolling vineyards, elegant Palladian houses, and just enough steep hills to challenge whatever shape you think you're in. It was organized by Euro-Bike Tours, a well-run company I've used several times. The guides are helpful, the rental bikes are excellent, and the hotels, meals and routes are chosen with care and creativity. (www.eurobike.com, 800-321-6060). Best of all, I cherish their philosophy: Have fun, go at your own pace, ride as much or as little as you want, and above all, relax and rejoice.

Do your research and find a bike tour company that suits your budget, travel dates and level of skill. Ask questions, and make sure the trip isn't too hard for you, or too easy. A little challenge goes a long way toward making your bike trip a beneficial, blissful experience.

Before you start spinning your wheels, consider the following:

Train in Advance, If Possible. If you can ride your bike — even a stationary one — and work on strength and endurance before you go, do it. But don't be scared off just because you haven't ridden more than 15 miles in the last five years. Be content to start where you are, and improve gradually. Repeat after me: A bike tour is not a race. You go at your own pace. As your confidence grows, so will your strength and your speed. All that, plus amazing sites and scenery!

Ask For Help. Make sure your bike fits you properly. Otherwise, if the seat is too high, or the handlebars too low, you can set yourself up for an injury. Ask your guide to check you out, and don't be shy about asking for riding tips, too: how to lean into a turn, when to shift gears, rules of the road.

Do It, But Don't Overdo It. Hills are a hoot once you master the low gears and learn how to breathe (one inhale and two exhales works wonders for me), but too big a challenge can exhaust you. If it gets too hilly, get off the bike and walk for a while. Or let the ever-present escort van take you to the top of the hill and allow yourself the thrill of a long downhill run.

ENERGY EXPRESS-O! SHIFT YOUR MIND

"Thou shalt not let other tour members get on thy nerves, for thou art paying good money to enjoy yourself." — one of the 10 Commandments from the EuroBike brochure

Marilynn Preston — fitness expert, personal trainer and speaker on healthy lifestyle issues — is the creator of Energy Express, the longest-running syndicated fitness column in the country. She welcomes reader questions, which can be sent to MyEnergyExpress@aol.com. To find out more about Preston and read features by other Creators Syndicate writers and cartoonists, visit the Creators Syndicate website at www.creators.com.

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