5 Cycling Goals For 2016

Whether you are new to cycling or not, the secret to improvement is simple, ride your bicycle a lot. This New Year, setting yourself a few cycling goals will immensely improve your time and performance on the bicycle.

Pick something that is important to you, and be as specific as you can. Set specific monthly mileage, pick out a target cycling event, etc. Make it challenging, but also rewarding. Get out a calendar, a notebook, and a pencil and start planning on how you will achieve your goal. Assess if your cycling goals are achievable, as you need to be really honest with yourself. You need to decide if this is a goal that is either too hard or too easy, and if it is a plan you can realistically stick to. At the end of every week do an assessment of your progress to check if you are following your plan and getting closer to achieving your cycling goal.

Here is our guide to help you make 2016 your year to finally achieve those goals. Below are 5 important cycling goals you could set for yourself.

1. Commute to work

Instead of driving to work and back each day—which uses fuel and does absolutely nothing for your body or your stress level, you can cycle your way to work, miss the traffic, burn some calories, get an energy boost, and save the planet one pedal at a time. Just like an exercise, it is better to start slow and build over time.

2. Century Ride

Most cyclist's number one goal is the 100km ride. No organized event is more popular, more rewarding, or more practical than the century ride. Century rides are also infinitely do-able: anyone with a little bit of basic fitness, cycling ability, and will can comfortably conquer/cruise the distance. In fact, we would go so far as to say that with as little as 100 hours of training, spread out over four to six weeks, any cyclist can notch a century achievement under their belt.

3. Sign up for a Brevet

If you have comfortably completed your century ride and wondering what it would be like to ride farther, welcome to brevets. There are brevet events of various distances; 200km, 300km, 400km, 600km, 1000km, and 1200km. But for starters, the 200k is an ideal goal to achieve, which for many cyclists, is the most enjoyable brevet. Brevets are mostly non-competitive where each rider has to complete the distance within a maximum time cap. With regular training for the specific distance, the brevet would be a big boost to your cycling goals.

4. Get the taste of a competitive bicycle race

Committing to your first cycling race is often the hardest part. But it clearly is a big step forward for a cyclist. Before attempting to ride in your first race, be sure that you have a good number of group rides under your belt. This will accustom you to riding alongside dozens of other cyclists at high speeds. You will become familiar with drafting and positioning in the pack. The goal for your first cycle race should not be to win. Watch, ride and learn. The goal should be to gain the experience you need to eventually win in the future.

5. Learn basic bicycle repairs

Have you ever thought about doing your own bicycle maintenance? This New Year could be a good time to start. If you love cycling, learning to do your own bicycle maintenance and repairs is worth the effort. It allows you to get to know the anatomy of your cycle better, and you will have a better understanding on how to keep it running at tip top shape. The web is an amazing tool for learning about bicycle maintenance. Becoming an expert at home bicycle repairs is like any other skill, you take one small step at a time.

Remember, big achievements happen through a series of small goals. We hope your love for cycling increases heaps and bounds in 2016, and you keep putting those extra miles on your bicycle. Happy New Year!