Call for a free consultation today

Cyclists on forest track.

Flexible goal setting for New Year 2021

January is the time of year where every newspaper, magazine and blog runs a story on resolutions, but many of us got our fingers burnt by 2020 when our ambitious plans were thrown of course by a global pandemic. So how do we plan and commit to cycling goals for the year ahead when we still don’t know what events might run, what travel will look like or even our working patterns?

 

Build in flexibility

So last year your goal was to complete a sportive but the event got cancelled and now you are wondering what the point is? Feel familiar?

While some people gave up on their training once the goal was removed others found a way to make it happen anyway. Cycling Weekly’s CW5000 Challenge allows you to take on the challenge and cover the distance anyhow and anywhere. Some organisers moved their events online, The Ridgeway Rouleur became a virtual event for 2020 so participants could still have the satisfaction of ticking off your goal.

If you can be prepared with several different ways to complete the same challenge you can set it as a goal confident you will find a way to see it through.

 

Set performance goals

This is sound advice in any year but even more so now. A performance goal doesn’t need an event or a medal or a race to make it achievable, it is just about you. If you are laden down with power meters and heart rate monitors you probably apply this in your training anyway and have an easy way to set a measurable performance goal, but if you ride in a less structured way it is a little trickier.

How about picking a local hill and challenging yourself to reduce the time it takes to ride up it? Or learning a skill such as riding the rollers. Choose something that you can control all aspects of and needs no external measurement of success.

 

Be creative

A goal doesn’t need to be about getting fitter or faster, it could be something completely different. With many of us spending more time at home than usual you could set yourself the challenge to ride every (cycling safe) road within a 5-mile radius of your house. Or take a picture on every bike ride in 2021 to create a visual ride diary. Think of the things you enjoy about cycling and create a goal that focuses on them to keep you motivated, whatever else might change around you.

 

Make it about cycling – but not cycling

There are many things you can do to improve your cycling health and fitness beyond just riding your bike. What you eat, how much you sleep, how much stretching and strengthening work you do is all part of the package. Here’s a suggestion – how many days do you manage to tick off eating 5 portions of different fruit and veg, can you make it 7? We know it sounds simplistic but something like this will benefit your overall health and can be achieved anywhere at any time, whether you are working from home, travelling or back in the office.

We are all hoping for a brighter, better, more certain 2021 so let’s be big and ambitious in our goal setting (whilst factoring in a little wriggle room for the unexpected)!

Share your 2021 cycling goals with us on our Twitter or Facebook pages.

For more information about our services or to start your claim, call 0808 100 9995 and speak to one of our specialist solicitors. We’re here to help. You can email us or schedule a callback.

Written By:

Emily Pheysey

Litigation Executive

Emily has over 7 years of experience in the legal sector, handling road traffic accident claims to recover compensation and support her clients. Her focus is to ensure all clients feel comfortable and at ease with the claims process so that they can focus on their recovery.

Emily considers rapport to be an essential part of the role and strives to always provide excellent client care.

Away from work, Emily enjoys spending time with her family and friends and travelling as much possible.

Diane Holderness

Litigation Executive

Diane is a Ministry of Justice (TOJ) Team Leader within our Cycle Department. She has 11 years’ experience managing road traffic accident claims, and 6 years’ experience managing MOJ claims.

Diane enjoys a challenge and always strives for the very best results for her customers; something that is clear in the way her team continually adapts its strategies in order to secure the most desired outcome. Diane has worked her way through the legal ranks here, and is proud to now have a strong, specialist team that is committed to customer satisfaction.

Diane believes that happy clients make a happy working environment, and it is this that ensures a productive and efficient workforce.

Nina Haddock

Chartered Legal Executive

Nina has over 30 years’ experience in the legal sector. She specialises in recovering compensation for injury claimants as a result of road traffic accidents. Her focus for each and every claim is to help her clients secure the funding that they need to pay for ongoing treatment and support.

Nina became a CILEX Fellow in 2006 and now helps her clients and their families at a time when they have been through a traumatic experience, and everything they hold dear to them appears to be changing.

One case Nina is particularly proud of is supporting a client who had successfully sought asylum in the UK, following a road traffic accident. The claim was successfully pursued through the MIB and the client was left with significant injuries. Her client was able to use the compensation to aid family members with their applications to seek asylum in the UK.

Julian Fox

Cycling Accident Solicitor

Julian qualified as a Solicitor in 2005 and has worked in all areas of personal injury since 2000. Julian has a well-rounded understanding of personal injury law, having represented both claimants and defendants.

Julian always aims for maximum damages to meet his clients’ needs for injury and rehabilitation expenses, and can often secure interim payments to help meet clients’ financial needs. Julian is highly proactive in ensuring cases are progressed, ensuring a timely conclusion.

When not at the office, Julian is a keen cyclist, both on roads and virtually -he will often do an hour of ‘Zwifting’ in the mornings before starting work.

Richard Atherton

Cycling Accident Solicitor

Richard has 12 years of legal experience and qualified as a Solicitor in February 2014. He has been a Team Manager with us since 2019. Throughout his career, Richard has specialised in personal injury, handling an array of Road Traffic Accident cases, in addition to employer and public liability.

Richard prides himself on his very strong strategic and planning skills, which come into their own in complex injury cases where more technical arguments are involved. On every case, he is committed to ensuring that his clients receive full compensation for their injuries.

Away from work, Richard enjoys sport; he is a season ticket holder at St Helens Rugby Club and a Liverpool FC fan. Not only a spectator, Richard also likes going to play golf as often as he can.

Dave Gardner

Litigation Executive

Dave has over 20 years of experience in the legal sector. His specialism is personal injury and he has dealt with hundreds of cycling injury claims during his career. Excellent client care and communication is paramount to Dave. He prides himself on being accessible and available, attending court hearings where damages are in dispute to ensure the best outcome for his clients. One case Dave is particularly proud of is when he supported an elderly client who suffered serious injuries following a road traffic incident. The police had not taken any action against the defendant, so Dave had to be proactive and act within a 24-hour window. The case proceeded and the client was in receipt of £30,000 in damages, which he would not have been entitled to had the client not approached Dave. He is also an avid supporter of Glasgow Rangers and travelled abroad on many occasions to see them play in European competitions.

Gerard Horton

Partner

Gerard is a Senior Solicitor at Cycle SOS. In his 13 years of experience, Gerard has built a national reputation in the catastrophic injury sector, dealing with high value and complex cases. Alongside his legal role, Gerard supports several charities including Headway Central Lancashire, Northwest Regional Spinal Injuries Centre and spinal injury charity, Back Up.

Julia Eyton

Partner

Julia brings a wealth of knowledge and expertise to the Cycle SOS team.

Specialising in representing those who have had life changing injuries, Julia handles some of the most serious and complex personal injury cases both within Cycle SOS and nationally.

She often works on high value claims and is skilled in winning complex liability cases.

NADIA KERR

Partner

Nadia has over 30 years of legal expertise and has represented hundreds of vulnerable road users. With a focus on ensuring timely rehabilitation, speedy repair or replacement of bikes and kit, and securing fair compensation, Nadia is committed to advocating for justice and client rights. Alongside her legal career, Nadia actively participates in national campaigns to benefit vulnerable road users and acts as a Trustee/Director for the national cycling charity, Cycling UK. Nadia was named in Cycling UK’s ‘100 women’ and was a founding member, now running a women’s cycling group, TeamGlow in South Manchester. Among her many achievements, Nadia takes pride in her spot on BBC Breakfast, where she provided expert commentary on long term government funding for pothole repairs.

Caroline Morris

DIRECTOR OF SERIOUS INJURY

Caroline has specialised in personal injury for over 25 years, recovering more than £56 million in damages during that time, to help clients rebuild their lives after injury.

Caroline is committed to achieving rehabilitation options early, meaning her clients benefits from the best care and treatment at the earliest stage possible.