What are your plans for cycling and e-biking in the New Year ahead? If you’re like me, you’ve spent at least some time over the holidays daydreaming and planning about your year ahead on your e-bike.
With that in mind, here are some of my cycling resolutions for 2022:
Raise my average number of rides (and mileage) per month: I’m inspired when I hear accounts about some of my fellow e-bike riders (many of them senior adults like me) who ride thousands of miles per year and keep detailed records to chart their progress. I admire their discipline and want to be more like them. Riding more will also improve my physical fitness and maybe help me shed a few of these holiday extra pounds I’ve gained. So, one of my main cycling resolutions is to ride more often and ride farther.
Explore new trails: I love trail riding the most. Trails are beautiful and relatively safe. I get frustrated, however, by how few of them I am able to ride each year. You know the problem, “too many trails and not enough time.” With 24,000 miles of completed rail-trails in the U.S., every state has scenic bike trails just waiting to be discovered. More than a few of these trails are legendary, long enough to make a great multi-day bike vacation. The Rails to Trails Conservancy even publishes a list of its Hall of Fame trails, the best of the best. There’s no better way to explore the nation’s beauty and experience its small towns and people than riding on a bike trail. For 2022, I am planning to ride numerous new trails, many of them in states far from home where I have never ridden before. It’s going to be fun!
Plan a bike vacation: As noted above, bike vacations are a thing. Whether you have a weekend or a month to hit the road and explore, building a vacation around cycling is exciting. At this point, I have two cycling-centric trips planned for 2022 that will each last more than a week. I also have several shorter bike trips planned closer to home. When traveling by car, I rarely take a trip these days without first packing my bike. No matter where you’re going, you can always find interesting trails to ride somewhere along the way.
Be a more social rider: I tend to ride solo a lot. My wife has an electric trike and rides with me some of the time, but she’s not as addicted to cycling as I am, which is fine. She has other hobbies and pursuits that she’s very good at. One of my goals for the New Year is to participate in group bike rides. I’m also learning more about organized bike tours, something that sounds like a lot of fun. The social aspect of cycling is very appealing to many people, although plenty of us also enjoy our long solo rides.
Be a courteous rider: E-bikes are getting a bad reputation in some circles because of a relatively few cyclists who are boorish and don’t show courtesy toward other riders and pedestrians. With power comes responsibility. Each of us needs to do his or her part to demonstrate that e-bike riders can practice good trail etiquette, obey speed limits, and slow down even more when in congested areas. Let’s resolve to be the most courteous, friendliest trail users of all, practicing the Golden Rule every time we ride.
Learn more about my e-bike: This may sound odd coming from a guy who writes an e-bike blog and is the author of a book about e-bikes, but the truth is that I’m not especially handy when it comes to repairing my bike. I do the basic maintenance and keep tires inflated and chains lubed, but beyond that there’s a lot more I’d like to learn. With a bit of training and a few good tools, a bicycle (even an e-bike) is a relatively simple machine to maintain and repair, or so they say.
Advocate for e-bikes: Those of us who appreciate the benefits of e-bikes need to speak up. E-bikes are being unfairly banned from many trails, parks, and beaches, often by officials who know little to nothing about e-bikes. It’s up to us to educate these public officials on the virtues of e-biking and how beneficial e-bikes are to senior adults and those of all ages with health challenges. We must convince them that e-bikes can safely share pathways with traditional bikes and pedestrians.
Support the future of cycling: On a broader scale, we need to advocate for more and safer cycling for everyone. This includes improved bike infrastructure such as trails, bike lanes, and better street design. It includes government policies and funding at all levels that encourage broader bicycle ownership and riding. Most of us are into cycling because of the personal enjoyment and benefits we receive, but the bigger picture is that cycling makes the world a better place. Cycling is good for the environment, it’s good for public health, it can reduce traffic congestion and make our cities more livable. One good way to support a better future for cycling is to become a member of U.S. cycling organizations such as the League of American Bicyclists, People for Bikes, and the Rails to Trails Conservancy. These groups do a great job of advocating for cyclists, educating cyclists, and building trails. Similar cycling organizations exist in Canada, the UK, and elsewhere. See this list of cycling resources for find cycling advocacy groups in your region or country. Please consider joining and donating to one or more cycling organizations.
For many of us, e-bikes have become an invaluable part of our lives. Nothing gives us more enjoyment than a good ride on our bike. We want to ride farther and ride more often. We feel better, more alive, and happier when on our bikes.
We’re blessed to live during this era of e-bikes. We’re the first generation of senior adults to have access to electric-powered bikes. How fortunate for us! Let’s make 2022 a year of good health, new adventures, safe riding, and loads of fun with our truly amazing e-bikes. Hope to see you on the trails!
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So what are your cycling and e-bike resolutions for the year ahead? What exciting adventures are you planning? Leave your comments in the comments box below.
