This article is part of a series called ‘A love letter to…’, where Cycling Weekly writers pour praise on their favourite aspects of cycling. The below content is unfiltered, authentic and has not been paid for.
Poor old New Year's resolutions. They get a bad press these days, don't they? Certainly, they're not fashionable. But then, as anyone who has ever looked in my wardrobe will tell you, neither am I, so it'll take more than that to put me off.
I can understand the arguments against. If you're going to make a change, why make one that succeeds for a matter of days before you realise it's January, it's cold and miserable and, actually you need something to cheer you up – something tasty and preferably extremely calorific.
Equally, embarking on a brand new training programme in January with lots of outdoor miles is as likely to succeed as it is to conclude with the hapless trainee cowering under a blanket on the sofa, dosed up to the gills on garlic water soup* and refusing to come out until March.
*I could give you the recipe, but you wouldn't want it, trust me.
So much for New Year's resolutions then. Or, at least, those of the 'new year, new me' kind. But I don't necessarily want a whole new me. Not all in one go, anyway. A 'new bit of me' feels like a perfectly good start for anyone wanting to make a change and, done manageably, new year is the ideal time to do it.
Of course, in theory, you could make change at any time of the year. Why be beholden to some random prescribed idea of January 1st?
Well, there's no denying that a brand new year represents the perfect, if purely notional, 'fresh start'. The first day of the first month and a lovely clean slate.
But there's also the fact that we've all been worn to a thread by Christmas (if you haven't you're either under 18 or you haven't been doing it right).
We've had enough of stressed-out shopping, of partying, of mince pies, of 11am boozing and 11pm cheese-fests (or is this just me?). The recycling bins, still waiting for collection, betray the slightly nauseating and highly incriminating evidence of the onslaught.
For me, New Year's resolutions represent a sort of Christmas detox as much as any particular desire to be different the following year.
For the past two years I've given up alcohol for Jan and Feb. Given how much of it was sloshing about my system in December this has been pretty easy – easier, I'd say than at any other time of year. I've also cut right down on rubbish food. Again, pretty straightforward for the same reason. The whole thing has led to welcome and healthy weight loss and to feeling better on the bike.
It's true that you could theoretically do any of this at any time of year. But in reality there is pretty much zero chance I'm going to wake up on, say, April 7 and decide to quit booze for two months (especially – having found this out only seconds ago – because April 7 is apparently National Beer Day).
Or, halfway through the first week of my summer holiday, as I'm sitting on a Mediterranean balcony with a chilled margarita, decide that it would be a good time to drop half a stone.
Nope, it's all about the Christmas crescendo and the ensuing desire just to be a bit healthier.
The key to making it work is making it manageable. Embarking on a super-healthy, teetotal existence while at the same time deciding to up your riding from three to 15 hours a week is not going to work.
However, making an effort to add in an extra weekly session while also limiting (for example) the number of alcohol units or takeouts you eat? You're setting yourself up to win, and for better health. Oh, and to save money too – and who doesn't need that coming out of the holiday season?
In the end, we each have to do what suits us personally, and if resolutions aren't your thing, well that's fine by me. Just have a drink for me, won't you? Mine's a chilled IPA.
Happy New Year, and enjoy the ride in '25!
