Forget about the 70s in California, we ALL rode bikes. Fast forward 40 years and then covid hit. I fixed up a couple of used 10 speeds for my 18 and 19 year old kids. Then in late 2021 I got my college 12 speed bike going again and went for a ride.
Five minutes in and I blew up. HR must have been through the roof, I could hear the blood pounding in my ears. I was wheezing for breath and thought; OMG I am in terrible horrible shape! The mirror agreed, I was an old skinny guy with a pot belly. It took me 6 weeks to get strong enough to ride for 20 minutes.
My best friend is a serious cyclist and told me "You're tall, skinny and uncoordinated, cycling is perfect for you". I took it to heart and riding became a good habit and a total addiction.
We road the GFNY Fondo together last year and we're heading to the Pyrenees in Sept for 3 weeks of cycling, half in Spain and half in France.