Why Cycle

I always thought that cycling was intended as exercise, so why do cyclists go out of their way to make things easier for themselves?

Rather than cycling on a one-geared bike, dressed in a duffle coat, a sou'wester, Oxford bags, brogues, cycle clips and a pith helmet, which would give them plenty of exercise within a very short space of time, they ride bikes made out of carbon fibre having umpteen gears, wear micron thin Lycra and sport helmets that are designed in a wind tunnel for minimum wind resistance. Riding bikes dressed like that isn't exactly exerting.

You see the buggers clogging the country lanes in huge gaggles and they obviously aren't racing each other. They seems to head for the nearest village coffee shop, clip-clop inside in their curiously designed footwear and commence to scoff all manner of cakes, washed down with a mug of tea or coffee before heading back to whence they came from.