Gremlins are bugging me

[crazycanuck]

Hey,

I need some help with some mental gremlins while cycling..I face the gremlins each time i cycle but they seem to always be there.

I'm referring to corners & more specifically blind corners. Since i've been back on the road mozying to work & doing longish rides on weekends i've noticed i'm really the only one paying attention to corners. I often slow down a bit & hope the person behind me understands.

I want to move on however am unsure how to do this. On one hand i know that corners will always be there and will always be a concern. On the other I don't want corners to stop me from building my skills again.

Any thoughts?

Thanks
C

[tulip]

When I'm see a corner or a stopsign coming up in a group, I waive my hand behind me and yell out (as best as I can behind me) very loud, "SLOWING!" Seems to work.

[crazycanuck]

Tulip, thanks...

Ooops I think i missed some info in my first post..I'm not referring to cycling with a group & cornering. I'm referring to not having another incident like i did last oct..

[OakLeaf]

I think it will come if you give yourself time.

But in the meantime, I think you can work on the skills you can control, and that will help you getting past the fear of the things you can't. Work on your cornering skills in places with open sight lines and little traffic. Practice "seeing with your whole eyes," i.e., being aware of everything in your peripheral vision rather than fixating on a narrow area. Look through the turns, and look up once you've glanced at the road surface to make sure it's clear of debris.

I've never had a crash even remotely as big as yours, but this kind of thing has been helpful when I've found myself reinforcing rather than getting over past crashes.

[LBTC]

CC - Oakleaf has some great suggestions! Do those and arm yourselves with butterflies to protect you and help you to be seen by others. You'll get there!

Hugs and butterflies,
~T~

[Bad JuJu]

I have no practical advice to offer, but can say from experience that the more you do the thing you fear, the less fearful it becomes. I guess that's obvious in theory, but not always so obvious in practice, since it still takes time.

One cornering skill I've read about it is putting your weight on the outside foot/leg--this is supposed to lend greater stability during cornering. Just a thought.

Best of luck in putting your cornering gremlins behind you!

[mimitabby]

I crashed into a fence once when my handlebar hit it (not enough clearance)
it probably took 5 years for me to get over that one. I used to be on the back of the tandem with my eyes closed!!! to go through posts or through fence gate openings.

Time will heal.

[silver]

hi cc!

I know what you are feeling. It's frustrating, isn't it?

I'd say it took a good 9 months to feel a little closer to normal. And I'll never ride the same again. It's not worse, it's just different. My nemesis is hills that I don't know. If I don't know the grading and what's at the bottom or around the bend, I take it really slow. I don't do that great on unknown courses.

But even though I have to deal with this, I still have found a joy in riding that I never had before. When I face down the fear and still go on and finish a ride, I know that I am stronger and more couragous than before.

I hope this helps.

silver (once broken)

[crazycanuck]

Silver-Yep..It's rather frustrating & am annoyed about being frustrated. I have so many thing to work on-strengthening my right leg, aligning my hip, speed etc etc..I never thought about how much i'd truly have to work on until i got back outside.

Oakleaf-i'm still working on getting my 'cycling' eye back to where it was.

Thanks :) muchly appreciated!

[RoadRaven]

Hey there CC
So good to see you are out there, and on your bike again
I have thought about you often while I life took over from my TE visits.

I have no practical advice either, but like JuJu says... the more you face your fear, the easier it is to face your fear because you build strategies to cope.

And people like Silver who, like you, have had much to face when reaching for the bicycle have much more insight than I.

But my thoughts are with you and I wish you continued courage as you relearn to ride the way you loved to.

[Geonz]

What they said.

When I did TOMRV I put "ICORNERSLOWLY" as my name on the tag on the back of my bike (they asked you what to put there and said you didn't have to make it your name)... and I haven't had bad corner experiences. Time and practice, I reckon.

(I liked that people gave me lots of room and treated me like the newbie I was ;) )

Or perhaps there is a gremlin banishing ceremony.

[KnottedYet]

After your corner experience, I am very careful at corners and ring my bell like h#11 at every blind corner.

Maybe your gremlins will ease up if they know others are being more careful because of you?