We’d like to thank our friends over at Mission Bicycle Co. for putting this highly practical list of things that you can do to improve your quality of life.  They’re pretty darn honest about it too.  They realize that we’re all going to have our vices, but a simple things like riding your bike can go a long way to putting a smile on your face.

So please, don’t lose a pound, don’t quit smoking and whatever you do, don’t even think about taking a trip. Instead, channel all that energy into your beautiful bike. Here are our top five suggestions.

1. Ride with friends and strangers: Invite a friend along for a ride with no specific destination in mind. Discover a side street or a new slice of afternoon sun. Inversely, join a group ride solo. When alone we are often more likely to welcome conversation from new people and make new acquaintances.

2. Support your local bike shop: The Internet is a great resource, but it’s no match for human interaction. Find a local shop you trust and introduce yourself and your bike. Developing a relationship with the staff will increase your understanding of your bike while supporting a positive business in your community. Most people get into the bike industry because they love bikes, let them show you why.

3. Pump up your tires more often: This simple but essential task is too often put off. Resolve to stop the procrastination and grab a pump. Your ride quality will improve and you’ll thank yourself.

4. Change your own flat tires: This is not nearly as daunting as it may seem. There are two approaches, pick the one that seems reasonable for you.

• One: carry all necessary materials at all times. That means a tube, a tire lever, a pump and potentially a wrench depending on your wheel.
• Two: change your flats at home, where you stock those items, or at the bike shop nearest to your flat discovery. It’s rare that a shop won’t sell you a tube and allow you to change it yourself on site.

5. Ride your bike to work (or if you already do, ride to work in the rain): This may be a big next step for some of you, but the benefits are even bigger: save a ton of cash, get exercise, meet new people, see new places, travel at your own pace and on and on. It may take a few new items like a backpack or rain gear to be comfortable, but those things will easily be offset by the savings.

If you’ve already got a bike resolution on your list we’d love to hear it. Let us know by sending it to resolutions@missionbicycle.com. We’ll share responses for others to see. Happy new year.