Essay: On Dry January
(2022) I distinctly remember the moment in a documentary that caused me to rethink alcohol’s role in cycling culture. As one who imbibes often, this moment stood out; even the person next to me commented how much the video glorified drinking. This ground me, reinforcing the suspicions that others were having the same thought. My consideration turned to those who ride events as a coping mechanism to escape alcohol dependence and addiction. It is why I thought Dry January, a month-long abstinence from alcohol, was prudent.
The documentary in question is about a cycling event so successful a film was made about it. About halfway through, every interviewee started saying the finish beer motivated them to press on. Pros, age-groupers, off-the-backers. They all kept saying how beer was the only reason some of them finished. (At one point there was a quick montage of all interviewees saying, “Beer, beer, beer,” which prompted the comment mentioned in the introduction.) Truth be told, I’m sure I would have snatched a spot in front of the camera to gush over post-ride libations. But at that viewership moment, something struck me.
Years ago I abstained from alcohol for a spell and gained remarkable insight to the culture of boozing. Being a person who was known to swoon over beers or bourbon, there was the immediate lesson of how people saw me. Every social event I found myself struggling with being offered a drink. Hey-that-guy-is-here-and-he-loves-DIPAs! People were genuinely confused when I started turning down cordials, opting instead for a soda or simply a glass of water. At one point a peer was so confused, he went so far as to crack a can, pour it in a glass, and hand it to me as if I had suddenly forgotten the process. I learned how much of a staple alcohol was in our non-working interactions (or working, too).
In recent years that insight has been applied to everything from post-work Happy Hours to one recent social media campaign pointing out that the featured person is always holding an alcoholic beverage. Instead of closing the bar, there has been the added option of never setting foot in it. Or, if going with friends, the deflection of merely drinking cola. This insight has led to recognizing people in the cycling industry who have either hinted at alcohol struggles or have put it out there. With the pandemic leaning heavily on people’s coping mechanisms - for better or worse - events with video montages of people praising finish line beers might need rethinking.
While writing this, there was a struggle to come up with a suitable alternative for post-ride beers. Athletic Brewing Company, alcohol-free beers, is certainly an option. In some cases soda might work but many riders use sugary drinks for entire events and want nothing to do with cola post-finish line. Or maybe participants can refocus the reward for finishing by reviewing Strava. This is why it was a struggle to identify a second drink option for those not seeking afterride suds.
After navigating the first week of Dry January, there were hardly any distractions to lure us from the attempt. That will most certainly change as the days progress. This hasn’t been a persuasion for abstinence, it’s a request to reconsider that the rider lined up next to you may be more inclined to visit the coffee shop afterwards as a coping strategy instead of the beer wagon. Those lessons have reshaped the perception and narrative of the reasons to ride. And it is hoped that, for a short moment, it causes pause for others as well.
