How to Set Winter Goals Without Hating Yourself by February

But how do you set goals that don’t dissolve into despair by mid-February?

Let’s talk strategy.

Start small and weird

Forget “ride 5,000 km” or “improve FTP by 40 watts.” Start with something achievable — and mildly unhinged.

The bar is on the floor, and that’s where it belongs (seasonally).

“Be the friend who brings snacks.”
“Send a postcard from a ride.”
“Say ‘nice pull’ unironically.”

Not all goals need a power meter. Some just need vibes.

You don’t have to join 17 Zwift races and five WhatsApp groups. Just find one friend who also has mild delusions of base mileage grandeur.

Send each other ride selfies. Celebrate when you both ride to the same bakery from opposite directions. Peer pressure works best in pairs.

Put reminders in your calendar now:

This builds in failure as part of the process. Congratulations, you’re now a professional cyclist.

You know what’s great? Riding your bike in sub-zero temps when you could be inside watching TV.

You know what’s not great? Shaming yourself for not doing intervals.

So reward the ride itself. You went outside? That’s a win. You rode the trainer without rage-quitting? Another win. You did both in one week? King.

Tell one person. Just one. That way, you’re technically accountable, but not enough to spiral when you miss a day.

Ideally choose someone who’ll say “lol same” if you abandon everything by Valentine’s Day.

Winter is not the time to become a new person

It’s the time to slightly improve the person who already owns seven base layers and cries during headwinds.

Set goals that make you feel good. Or at least goals that come with snacks.

You don’t have to be perfect. You just have to be pedalling (occasionally, and with reasonable snack breaks).

You’ve got this. Kind of. Definitely enough.