Help! I am scared of my bicycle!

[spatlese]

Hi everyone,
I have been reading the posts on this discussion board for about a month now, and I finally decided to join today. My DH bought me my first road bike (Bianchi Brava 49cm) in June and I have been on the bike about 5 times.

The first time I got on my bike, it was in the house, on the trainer practicing clipping in and unclipping, and that went really well. However, the second time I got on my bike, we were in a parking lot and I tried to unclip and fell and hurt my knee (and pride).

The next few times, we have been doing ~20 mile rides. I really enjoy riding, but I am still scared of falling. I have an irrational fear of falling on the road and having my head smashed like a pumpkin (Silly, I know! But I can't help it)

So now, everytime DH wants to go for a bike ride, I make excuses not to go (traffic is too heavy, its too hot, I don't feel like it, etc). Once I am out on the road, I feel great, but its the MOTIVATION to get out there, that I am lacking.

Am I the only one who feels this way and what can I do to stop being scared of jumping on my bike and pedalling? Any advice is appreciated!!

[Tri Girl]

The only advice I have is to just keep doing it. When I first started cycling I was terrified of traffic/getting hit. The more I did it (in short sessions w/traffic) the more confident I became. Just keep on trying and your fear will subside over time.

[jobob]

Could you perhaps switch to plain pedals for a little while, until you're more comforable with the handling the bike, riding out on the roads, etc. ? That might help.

[bcipam]

I am assuming you always ride with a good helmet and that the helmet is positioned properly on your head. FOrward protecting your forehead, not ont he back of your head.

OK, here's something to practice... falling. I know sounds weird, but once you practice falling and know you won't get hurt (at least badly) hopefully your fear will subside.

Just practice on a nice soft area, lawn, sand, beach is good, you need to fall forward (as that is how most falls occur - up and over bars) tuck in your neck and shoulder, arms in never out and hopefully you will roll over onto to your side and hip without problem.

Falling does occur - it is just part of the sport - either road or mountain. Just keep riding. Remember more falls (and bad ones too) occur at slow speed then high.

[esther231]

I am not clipless yet. I'm using the top clips that came with the bike till I'm more comfortable or I have a need to go clipless so take what I say with a grain of salt. But from reading the posts, when you go clipless, one fall is a given.

You've gotten it out of the way. That rite of passage is behind you and you haven't fallen again.

If you can't get through it, it's okay. You can bike and not be clipless and still do well. Sometimes it's two steps forward and one back. If changing your pedals will make you more comfortable - do it. You can change 'em back again, in a heartbeat, when you want to.

[BleeckerSt_Girl]

I've been riding for a couple months new, and I still have problems not wobbling sometimes. I chose to stay using PLAIN pedals for now, until I feel way more confident turing, stopping, starting, etc. I feel way more safe with plain pedals as a beginner rider.
I did buy some "PowerGrips" straps today and will put them on (not too tightly either at first). I think they might be a good alternative that will enable me to pull on the upstroke pedalling, but without feeling too scarily attached.
http://www.ekosport.com/pg_how_works.shtml
http://kentsbike.blogspot.com/2005/11/power-grips.html
http://www.performancebike.com/produ...50/62_1016.jpg

I look forward to them, but I don't feel scared about them.

[Kalidurga]

OK, here's something to practice... falling. I know sounds weird, but once you practice falling and know you won't get hurt (at least badly) hopefully your fear will subside.

Falling does occur - it is just part of the sport - either road or mountain. Just keep riding. Remember more falls (and bad ones too) occur at slow speed then high.

I'd second that idea. I've gotten banged up several times in the last few years, and most of those times have been on my bike. Each fall has been stupid and embarassing, but not only have I survived, I've also learned to see falling and getting back up as proof of how tough I am. I've even been known to go into work the next day and show off my "battle scars" and tell a funny story about what happened. When I walk in the door with a bandaid on my knee or my arm in a sling, folks just shake their heads and say "She's been reliving her childhood again..."

[salsabike]

I would take the clipless pedals off for now, put flat ones on; get comfortable with road riding; and try clipless again later if you want. Why not make it easy for yourself to like riding, and then get to the clipless part after you're otherwise at ease on the bike?

[annagrace]

Absolutely take the clipless pedals off if it's keeping you from riding, I just put mine on last weekend, so it also took me a long time, a couple months before making the change, I also took a tumble and still nursing my bruises, but I just get back on with a vendetta. It gets better I promise.

[jobob]

I did buy some "PowerGrips" straps today and will put them on (not too tightly either at first). I think they might be a good alternative that will enable me to pull on the upstroke pedalling, but without feeling too scarily attached.

I also used PowerGrips for a few months before I moved on to clipless pedals. I needed that time to get accustomed to the position and handling of my road bike, and to just get more confident.

[Bikingmomof3]

So now, everytime DH wants to go for a bike ride, I make excuses not to go (traffic is too heavy, its too hot, I don't feel like it, etc). Once I am out on the road, I feel great, but its the MOTIVATION to get out there, that I am lacking.

Am I the only one who feels this way and what can I do to stop being scared of jumping on my bike and pedalling? Any advice is appreciated!!

I missed this thread and I agree with what others have said thus far. I was truly terrified of bikes. Seriously freaked out at thee mere thought of being on a bike. Then I would only go out when the odds of a car coming were slim to none. How did I get over this fear? I made myself get out every, single day. I have an extremely supportive husband who put up with a lot the first week of me biking. He is a wonderful and patient man who never once made me feel as though my feeling we stupid or irrational. His love and support helped me a lot.

I spent on day (and I assume I entertained the neighbours) just riding up and down the cul-du-sac, practicing stopping, turns, etc. For me, I need to feel in control on my bike. I practiced and practiced and practiced. I was determined to be a safe biker and someone who was safe to bike with. Did any of that make sense?

After I felt totally comfortable in my neighbourhood I slowly ventured out onto busy streets. I must add, I was always with my DH and I am extremely stubborn. It also helped to read what the women on this site were accomplishing every day.

As far as clipless goes, if you are uncomfortable, your LBS can place a removable cage on one side of the pedals so you can choose to ride clipless or platform. Mine still have the removable cage on the one side-it seems so final to take them off. It is my next challenge which I hope to have completed by the weekend.

Please, keep riding. I had a cul-du-sac to work in. Many go to parking lots to practice. There is no time limit. Practice until you feel confident and then you determine how far out you go each day. Eventually you will find yourself wanting to go out farther and farther each day.

Read the forums daily for a boost. Nothing makes me want to ride more than when I read what others are accomplishing.

[mimitabby]

There is a lot of wisdom in these posts here. I want to add one thing.
Fear keeps you alive. (a lady who rode HER bike around the world told me that)
Follow your fear. If it's those clipless things, take 'em off. you have lots of time
to put them back on later. Right now you need to get comfortable on a bike.
Later on you can try all sorts of alternatives. You're not alone. I'm 54 and I
don't find falling down amusing, so I do not have my feet anchored in by any mechanical gadgets. If and when i do I will probably try the frogs because they seem to have the least number of "haha I fell down 2x today" stories.
I have cages on my Raleigh and those power grips
http://www.powergrips.com/

on my new Bianchi bike. You might like those. I've never felt "Caught" or "stuck" in them, yet on a 184 mile trip that i did last weekend, my feet never came out of them when I didn't mean them to. They work.
good luck
Mimi

[Dr. Liz]

Ditto to all of the above. The more you do it, the more comfortable you'll feel. I'm not just talking the pedals - if those don't work for you, don't feel pressured to use that. I'm actually thinking more about the riding in general - the more you get out and do it (on nice, quiet roads, and with DH understanding your fears), you will get more confident. Try riding the same route repeatedly, so you know the places where you are more nervous and need to 'have a plan' in mind, and the places where you can just focus on the riding. You'll be able to formulate solutions for the 'what-ifs' that run through your mind, and once you do that you'll get more comfortable. As you get more comfortable with the what-ifs on your 'regular route', then you can start branching out to riding other routes.

Don't worry that you are the only one with these fears. I just started riding this summer, in May, and I always ride with a heart rate monitor. While it has started getting better, I'd have high heart rate (like 105-110!) before getting on the bike, just because I was anxious. The general anxiety has decreased, but I completely understand the nerves. Again, the more I got out and did it (cycling is the only exercise I can get DH to do regularly, so I knew I HAD to go out, no matter how nervous I was feeling) the better I felt.

DH has been riding (on and off) for ever. And he didn't quite understand the fears, but he was generally patient with me. We started off riding the same basic loop, so I talked to him about places where I got nervous (there is a 3-way stop, for example, that I worried about), and he helped me formulate a plan for each of those spots. We also spent a lot of time in parking lots practicing specific situations, so I'd feel better. Talking through my fears with DH helped a lot, too, so that when we were on the road, he'd know where I'd be apprehensive and so he'd give me guidance/encouragement.

And (since I operate heavily on positive reinforcement ), I'd reward myself for 'baby steps'. Just sort of a mental pat on the back. Successfully stopping at an intersection. Confidently making a left turn. Taking a hand off the handle bars to signal a turn. Stuff like that. It might sound silly, but each little personal 'atta boy' let me know that I was making progress.

Frankly, I still have moments where I feel a little nervous, but definitely getting a lot of miles under my belt have made me feel a little more confident about handling 'unforseen' situations. Good luck to you, and keep us posted - hopefully you'll be out enjoying yourself soon!

[latelatebloomer]

i second Dr Liz and our other wise friends. You could check out some of the advice given me when I dealt with so much fear after a scary but fairly injury-free fall. The thread was called "Help, my ride's gone ka-blooey."
I rode as often as I could - tiny rides, sometimes. But heaped praise on myself each time - each corner, each descent, no matter how slow or shaky. Still do. There's one kind of courage, when a person is fearless, and God/Goddess bless them whoever they are - and another kind, demonstrated when you face your fear however you can, in small bites, until you are finally bigger than the fear.

It took me over a month to feel happy on a bike again - but I did - on my hybrid. Then one day, my intuition told me I was ready for the road bike - with platform pedals. A couple of rides later, I eagerly put on the bike shoes. My heart rate went to 180 standing still. I valiantly tried my easy route, but my heart was surely visible through my shirt. I put the shoes away. I'll ride on the platform pedals until the intuition says "now."

This is not a race, and you don't have to compare yourself to any other rider. This is your journey. Every day that you can ride is another small present of health and courage that you give yourself. These are the things I tell myself every day. PM me ANY time you need support. I know what it's like to ride with tears in your eyes, saying "I'm so scared." The only thing that was scarier than riding was not riding.

I still have that voice that tells me not to go out, that I'm no good, I can never do that many miles, etc. Sometimes it's really ridiculous - the imp will tell me I can't ride 20 miles when I just rode 35 pretty darn well. I tell the imp to get lost, that it's full of lies. (an idea I sort of stole from a wonderful old fantasy novel called Damiano.) Can you make that voice into a character you can deal with? Moany Myrtle from Harry Potter? Either borrowed or something you come up with yourself, personalize it into something over which you can gain some power? I don't know you and I may be wrong - but for me, fear is the dark side of a powerful imagination. How can you use that imagination for good? A riding angel? A crew of TE riders leading you on the road? There is nothing too silly if it works.

(with a big hug from Lynda Gene)

[Dogmama]

I don't like traffic either, so I do the majority of my rides first thing in the morning.

When I started cycling (in the stone ages, we had fixed gears and coaster brakes - OK - I'm kidding) I took an Effective Cycling class through my local community college. They taught me all kinds of tips & tricks to get through traffic. For example:

When approaching a busy intersection, shift to an easier gear so that your feet are moving faster and slowly apply your brakes. Cars won't see that you are slowing down because your feet are moving fast and they're less likely to cut you off.

Ride like you are invisible. When you approach an intersection where cars are stopped - assume that the car in the right lane will turn right and keep one car length behind him. Don't assume that because their turn signal is not on that they will not be turning.

Listen to the traffic. If you hear a car slowing down next to you, know that it is going to turn right. Be prepared for the car to turn in front of you. Again, shift to an easier gear (your feet are moving quickly), gently apply your brakes. Drivers think bikes = slow. Not always the case!

This is important. When you are riding down a road where visibility of cars approaching the road is poor, due to vegetation, street signs, etc., DO NOT ride in the far right side of the bike lane. Cars will not see you and will turn in front of you. Ride more to the left - I often will ride right on the bike lane stripe or even in the traffic lane (if it is safe) so that I am visible.

Signal your intentions. Even if it should be obvious that you are turning right or left - signal anyway. It makes you more visible and removes all doubt.

Wear BRIGHT CLOTHING. Black or gray jerseys are generally not a good idea.

Those are the tips that come to mind but there are lots more. So, if you can get into a class, I highly recommend it.