Everyday Cycling Top 20 New Year's Resolutions
20 pieces of solid gold Everyday lore to make a difference in 2008. If you're a Sunday pootler, a super motivated sportive supremo or anything in between, you'll find a nugget of wisdom or two here to make the wheels spin a little easier. Or else we'll give you something to heartily disagree with...
1. Buy another spare tube that you can afford to give away to someone in need on the roadside - you'll make their day.
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- 2. Teach someone to mend a flat or put their chain back on - it might be the only thing stopping them from taking to two wheels.
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- 3. Try to buy at least one thing a month from your independent local bike shop. Big shops can mean great deals and quick service but could you do without your local shop when it all goes pear shaped?
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4. Choose your gearing according to your terrain and your legs, not according to fashion.
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- 5. Swap bikes with your mates for the day - when was the last time you did that? It'll make you realise how well/badly your own bike fits you.
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- 6. If you want to smuggle a new bike purchase past your 'other half' make sure it's the same colour or better still, gradually upgrade and evolve.
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- 7. Every now and again - ride your bike in normal clothes - it's a liberating experience.
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8. Buy a decent waterproof jacket. Above all other pieces of kit it will make the biggest difference to your cycling all year round.
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- 9. Got a garage full of bikes that you never ride? Give one away to someone who's just getting into cycling.
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- 10. If you're looking for a commuting hack - check out your local bike recycling project. You'll save a fortune, help a good cause and reuse a bike that's already in the system.
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- 11. If you've recently been bitten by the bug and are getting fitter and healthier, enter a short sportive or enduro. They're friendly, accessible and highly rewarding.
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- 12. Want to go cycle touring but 'just haven't got the time?' Check out the Sub 24hr Overnight (S24O)
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- 13. Lacking motivation ? riding becoming humdrum ? Don't define yourself as a Mountain Biker or a die hard roadie. If you ride tarmac, get thyself to a trail centre, hire a bike and get stuck in. Or on the flip side, if you're dirt specific, slick up your MTB, lock out that fork and have a crack at a sportive. Might just give your cycling the kick that it needs.
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14. The cyclosportive and enduro calendar is fuller than ever. Throw away (sorry, ethically recycle) that paper diary and use Everyday Cycling to plan your year and chart your training progress.
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- 15. Try and turn up to at least one event by bike. It'll get you warmed up, help with parking and intimidate the hell out of your mates!
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- 16. Have a go at racing. Cyclo cross runs in summer and winter in some regions and is easy to enter. Mountain bike events have Fun categories across the board. Camp overnight, eat greasy burgers, battle it out. Make a weekend of it! Find Events Now!
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- 17. Check out your local cycling club. Many clubs offer riding for all abilities and will give your riding a new social dimension. Find your local cycling club here
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- 18. Save yourself from RSI - Make Everyday Cycling your homepage - we'll only ever be one mouse click away.
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19. Are you sitting comfortably? If you're keen, get yourself professionally fitted. A growing number of companies offer fitting services allowing you to fine tune your position, adapt your existing bike to fit or help you create a custom fitted bike.
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- 20. Make enjoyment your biggest motivator. Challenge yourself, set goals that you can achieve, but don't lose sight of what got you into cycling in the first place ? Fun!
We hope that our score of ideas will help you keep on trucking through the dark days of January. Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year from everyone at Everyday!
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