The New Year is just over two weeks old now. The evenings will get brighter soon and temperatures will (slowly) begin to pick up.
So it’s time to get fit and set yourself a few goals for you and your bike.
To make life easier, we’ll give you a hand and suggest 10 things you might want to consider doing this year.
1. Go on a cycling holiday
Heading off for a week's cycling may not be within everyone's budget, especially as we're still in tough economic times.
But check out the options and you might find a week in the sun, especially at this time of year, is cheaper than you think.
Why not get together with others you train with regularly or club mates and make a plan to head off and climb some of those mountains the Grand Tours have made famous.
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Or if that sounds a bit too much like hard work, simply get out for a few hours each morning and go and do other traditional holiday activities during the rest of the day.
Food for thought; Neenan Travel organises holidays for cyclists of all abilities - from top racers to those who simply want to sightsee on leisurely rides.
And another one of our sponsors owns this great villa in the cycling Mecca that is Girona on Spain's Costa Brava.
2. Ride 100 miles in one day
A bit of a monster, yes, but you cannot call yourself a cyclist until you shave your legs, have a crash or ride a century.
Ring of Kerry Charity Cycle, early July; 112-miles of breath-taking scenery and lung-bursting savagery.
The 10,000 people or so who do it every year can’t all be lunatics, can they?
3. Join a club
Joining a club will improve you as a rider and introduce you to more like-minded people. Only cyclists understand cyclists, after all.
You’ll make more friends, learn about the sport and be part of the fastest growing pastime/sport/hobby/pursuit in the country.
It will also motivate you to get out more and train.
If you've just begun to ride your bike and are doing it on your own, or you're heading out with a few friends all the time, don't waste any more time; joining a club will be the best thing you've ever done.
Have a look at Cycling Ireland's directory of clubs to find the one near you.
4. Learn how to descend
Okay, so most of us will never learn how to descend as fast as pros like Paolo Bettini, above. But learning how to go very fast downhill can be a much bigger asset than you think.
It means you can make good progress in sportives or races after very hard efforts going up the other side of climbs.
And if you master the art, you can actually gain time on those who don't have a clue how to do it, while also grabbing a breather.
Very few riders ever work on descending. This year, find someone who you feel is good at it and ask them for advice.
And when you are going downhill, think about what you are doing and how you might get faster.
You’ve a higher chance of crashing if you squeeze the brakes hard, especially when it’s wet. So just lean in, relax and breathe.
Do not lock up, skid, crash, wreck your new shorts and scratch your bike. For some advice starting off, click here.
5. Get really good at fixing your bike’s simple issues
Dropping your bike into the nearest bike shop to get fixed can be a costly exercise. You should be easily able to get the hang of things like changing gear and brake cables, brake blocks and so on.
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It's only when you try it that you'll get more comfortable, so don't be afraid to have a go.
There are plenty of books on the market to guide you through it and a search on Google for any job will unearth invaluable step by step guides.
Once you get the hang of it; when your chain starts jumping you'll know that either it or your block - your set of sprockets or your rear wheel - are worn out.
That’s just one example of how your extra knowledge will help.
Getting to know these things will save you money, draw you further into the sport and should ultimately mean your bike will be in top condition and won't let you down.
If you're in Dublin or not too far away, try these guys - BikeMaintenance.ie.
6. Stop wasting money!
The bike boom means one thing; plenty of really good second hand bikes and components on the market.
So if you are thinking of splashing out, you'll get a much better second hand bike for, say, €500 to €1,000, than if you buy new.
Ask in local bike shops for second hand bikes and kit and get online and get searching.
7. Get out of bad habits
Where do we start?
Not washing the bike after a ride on a wet day, lying around in your wet gear for half an hour after training, refusing to learn how to fix a puncture; tut, tut.
Then there's waiting until your cleats literally wear away before you replace them, eating a thousand calories after a one-hour coffee spin, or eating more calories in cakes with the coffee while on the spin.
What is your bad habit? Change it.
8. Learn about more than the Tour de France
There are more races than the Tour? There sure are – and the Irish boys tend to do quite well in them too.
Keep an eye on stickybottle this year and you'll learn pretty quickly there's whole world beyond the Tour de France, the Vuelta a Espana and Giro d'Italia.
And the so-called smaller races can often be a lot more exciting that the big Tours; when there tends to be conservative and controlled racing on many stages precisely because the stakes are so high.
9. Support our professionals abroad
Did you know we have a couple of Grand Tour contenders? A world-class sprinter in Sam Bennett?
Two of best Grand Tour climbers in the world in the shape of Nicolas Roche and Philip Deignan of Team Sky?
A man who has won Tour stages and the biggest classics in Dan Martin? And a Grand Tour hopeful in Matt Brammeier?
A weekend break abroad to watch some of these guys may just be the best fun you've had all year and doesn't need to cost the earth.
Again, Neenan Travel is your best bet if travelling from Ireland.
'Irish Corner', above, has popped up at major events in the last few year so keep an eye on stickybottle for news on where it may happen next.
10. Lose weight
If you're carrying a bit of timber, every year you've probably said the time is right to get in shape.
Why not make 2016 the year you actually go and achieve those goals? If you really want to make it happen, we'll give you two bits of advice.
Firstly, train as frequently as you possibly can; even if that means just adding a few miles onto your cycle to and from work each day.
Secondly, join a club and get out on as many as their weekend or midweek rides as you can.
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