This is the time of year when people think about and state their intention for change. They’re going to be healthier or be kinder or be an iron woman. This year I’m going to be a Wild Thing. And I invite anyone who wants to to join me.

I remember when I started cycling. I felt scared and excited. I was awkward and slow. I couldn’t talk and pedal at the same time. OK, I still might have trouble with that last thing, especially if I’m trying to speak Italian. The thing is, we all start at the beginning. We don’t hit the road our first time out as a fully developed and functional “cyclist”. In fact, your goal may be completely different from anyone else’s. Some folks want to be a competitor. Some seek companionship. Others just want to be healthier. The common denominator, regardless of the goal, is that we have chosen the bicycle as the way to reach that goal.

We are all, brand new rider or experienced cyclist, in the process of becoming. Becoming exactly what might be very individual, but there are qualities that every one of us should share.

To be a Wild Thing, I encourage you to be audacious, or in Italian Ti incoraggio ad essere audace. Audacity, put simply, is the willingness to take bold risks. For me, having already been a rider for 6 years, a bold risk last year was riding a 300km “timed recreational ride” in a single day. This year I’ll do it again as a companion to a friend who has audaciously decided to challenge herself with this ride.

But that’s my audacious move. Yours may be to start riding, or to segue from city bike riding to road bike or mountain biking. You may choose to embrace Lyrcra…well, put more correctly, you may choose to be embraced by Lycra. That is definitely an audacious move that not every person can feel comfortable doing, but absolutely changes the way you ride.

Audacity is you stepping outside your comfort zone to discover who you are and what you can become, sometimes, but not always with the support of friends and family. To be audacious is to be aware of the risks and the potential for failure, and doing it anyway.

Be an Audacious Wild Thing.