Got back on the horse... er... bike

So, after two days off because I was truly too beat up and sore to ride, I got back on.

At first I had a melt down because my handle bar shifters were a mess (falling moved them), but after having a heart attack and taking it to the bike shop, they fixed it for free. They are still my fave shop.

So, yeah, I went and got my stuff together and rode tonight with a new older gentleman who kept a good pace with me. We did 30 miles at about 14 mph with lots of hills. Very good for still being body sore.

I was just glad to get back on. I was so nervous about it, but now I feel great again. Confidence is a funny thing. I used to show horses and have been run over, stepped on, gotten a concussion, etc, but getting back up was always hard. It's the same on the bike, I think.

What helps you gain confidence on the bike?

Colorisnt,

I had a wreck on Sunday June 26. I was rider for the bike leg of a triathlon relay and my husband and I decided to ride to the race since it was only 16 miles from home and I needed a warm up anyway. I had put a new front tire on the night before (I will never do that again without exercising caution the first couple of rides!) and wiped out on a dew cover steel grate bridge three miles from home. Once I took stock, the main issue was my left hip which would not support my weight to stand, but my husband helped me on the bike and I could peddle at about 90%, though I couldn't stand on the pedals. We rode the additional 13 miles to the event, and not wanting to let my teammates down, I rode my leg of the triathlon (15 miles). My husband and teammates had to help me get on my bike, literally, and steady me until I could get started. Once moving I felt fine... well almost. It was a hilly course at 80 ft/mile of climbing and at the steepest parts I missed being able to stand to keep my momentum up. I couldn't help but be a little more cautious than normal on turns. The worst part was the 50 ft walk between the timer and where you were allowed to mount/dismount. Even so, my total average including the limping parts was 18.4 mph and with my awesome teammates, we won the tri relay besting the second place team by 9 minutes. It's amazing what a little adrenalin will do to mask the pain!

I spent the afternoon in the ER... boogered up ligaments in my badly bruised hip, stitches and road rash on my left arm and a lightly sprained ankle and rib. Almost 2 weeks later I am still on crutches... but my head is good! I suppose riding the race was extreme, but there's no doubt that for my head (maybe not my body!) it was the right thing to do. I've ridden horses all of my life too... so I know the confidence issue if you delay after a fall.

I can't WAIT to get back on my bike. I know the incident is sinking into my brain as I heal and I will have some confidence to build back up (especially on bridges!). I'll probably spend a lot of time doing long, moderately paced rides before I ride with my fast group. I'll also drop my tire pressure a little to give me more confidence in my traction. (I run them really too high for my weight anyway.)

Oh, and I cracked my helmet... yeah for excellent helmet wear. Don't leave home without it! :)

to OP:
what helps you gain confidence is just riding. Good luck and I hope the two of you heal fast!

What helps me gain confidence is working hard to understand what caused me to crash and fixing it. No matter how much someone else's misconduct might've contributed to a wreck, unless it's something like a meteorite falling from the sky, there is almost ALWAYS something the rider could've done to avoid it. The last two wrecks I've had, I've had an initial impression of what I did wrong, that has deepened over a period of weeks as I got back on and reviewed my techniques.

I'm continuing to work hard on proper braking. Undoing decades of bad habits isn't easy. The last piece is learning to drink with my left hand. Not as easy as I thought it would be! :eek:

Oak Leaf, I was going down a hill not realizing that the sidewalk in front of me (multiuse) was dangerous. Likewise, I could have saved myself (most likely) if I would have been clipped in. I've done it before. However, I know now if there is any doubt just to walk the bike! It will take longer and be boring, but I won't fall off!

As for helmets, I used to never wear mine on the horse. I rode primarily Western at that time and showed stock horses. We are notorious for never wearing ours. And well, I went in this class called versatility. We were riding English first. I had on my helmet and my horse tripped and rolled on me. She kicked me in the head, kneed me in the chest, etc. This was a bombproof horse, but there was a ditch in the arena and she wasn't being careful enough at the canter. 15 minutes later, I would have been wearing a stetson in the Western portion of the event. I was okay only thanks to my helmet and I haven't been on a horse since without it. Likewise, I don't ever ride my bike without it either. Anything can happen.

Rita, I wouldn't have raced due to the fact that I most likely would have been too shaken and afraid to further injure myself. It's why I didn't get back on for two days. Glad you were wearing a helmet! Glad you are okay!

Riding with other more been there, done that cyclists helps. The guy I rode with was an older gentleman who was about my pace when I am body sore and it was a good confidence builder. There was a place where the pavement sometimes gets wet. I unclipped and walked just in case!

Quote:

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Originally Posted by colorisnt

Oak Leaf, I was going down a hill not realizing that the sidewalk in front of me (multiuse) was dangerous.

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Bah on MUPs. I've never trusted them. Was it the new one on Providence?

Sorry to hear about your wreck. I'm glad you & your bike are ok. Good luck getting back to riding!

Nope. I am staying off of that one, too, now They have been working on it for ages it seems. This one was one around Stephens. The MUP on providence by where I live gets water, sludge from the construction that they never cleaned up, etc. Very scary stuff. Before this, I never would have questioned it. I always thought pea gravel was dangerous. I mean, I ride on it probably 3 times a week, but still. Nope. White concrete is by FAR the worst.