Alun Newman: Fresh air obsession

If it’s cold and crisp with a blue sky, I have to repeatedly point out to anyone listening that I’d rather have it cold than drizzle. As of writing this, I have never met anyone who has contested that point and insisted that drizzle was the weather event for their perfect Christmas.

If I fancy going further afield and believe there’s a good chance of survival, I will go out on my bike for a long cycle and stumble across a coffee shop where I can moan about the cost of puff pastry.

I was out recently and my pedals and the sprocket thing started getting tighter and tighter and subsequently became harder than impossible to cycle. My bike technical skill reaches only to puncture repair and maybe brakes. Then I’m out. I knew that in town, there’s a man who stands under a gazebo offering to repair or service bikes. I needed skills. I needed a professional. I went to meet him and bored him with my lack of knowledge of the story and the bike incident, and he said he’d swing by and collect it.

Great news. I asked how much. I had to wait, of course, for a diagnosis. The bike was collected and I received a text. New bearing: fifty quid. Great. Yes please. Then another text. New sprocket needed. Well, I might as well. Then another text. The chain is worn. Well, in for a penny. I didn’t know they could get into a war. The final text was a photo of my tyres, referred to as “potentially dangerous death traps.”

I decided to get those changed as well. Yes, I could do it myself, but when you’re spending money like water it seems easier to say yes. Finally the messages stopped and a few days ago the bike was delivered back. It was nice to see it again. It was as if I’d sent it off to a spa for some much-needed downtime and a reboot.

I paid by tapping my card on the fella’s phone, which always makes me a bit nervous. It was a fair few quid. That day I was out trying my bike and I can tell you it purred like a kitten. All the gears worked for the first time in years. Brakes sharp as a pin. Most importantly, the pedals now went round and round, which is vital in the world of cycling whatever level you’re at.

To all those people who are good at something, something you really get and enjoy, you make the world a better place. Get out there with your new business ideas for 2026. If you have the heady combination of passion and skill, it’s a recipe for success.

Happy New Year.