Like most people I learnt to cycle when I was a child. I can still remember, when I was four and a half, a friend removing the stabilizers from my bike and sending me off across the lawn balanced on two wheels. Like most thing learning to cycle is easy once you have done it!
After leaving school I hardly ever cycled. However, in 1990 after hiring a bike to cycle along the Ashbourne Trail in Derbyshire, I decided to buy a new bike. All my old bikes had just had the old three gear Sturmey Archer system. My new bike was what I would have called a "racer", with decent derailleur gears. It had a decent frame and having decent gears transformed my experience of cycling, particularly in hilly Derbyshire.
I have never been a fanatical cyclist, being quite happy with rides in the 10 to 50 mile range. However, I do try and go out at least three times per week.
Cycling is a great family activity. If you have a trailer bike, you can cycle, even with very young children. As the children get older one thing I would like to try is cycle touring.
Linked from this page are several family friendly cycle routes that we have done. Some of these are completely off road. However, we are lucky to live in the countryside, where the minor roads are relatively quiet and are generally suitable for family bike rides.