Very scared

[JenLeath]

I have major anxiety about riding my bike. Once I get out, with other cyclist I am pretty good. I have fun and wonder why I don't do this more. Then I go home and go about my life. The option to ride again creeps up and I get terrified. While driving to or getting ready for a ride, I get stomache aches, sweaty palms. I am afraid of other cars, gravel, getting stuck in my pedals and then possible dying or getting really hurt . I find myself eeking out on only a few rides per year. I do triathlons and those rides are monitored and mostly block for traffic and swept the night before by the local triathlon club. I know the more I ride, the more comfortable I will feel. But that isn't as easy as it seems. I just moved to a new area, now the season is a foot and I don't know any safe routes or people to ride with. I know there isn't much any of you can do. But I just took my bike on a spin up and down our street to see if all was well. Just that sent my heart racing. I was in sandals too, so no cleats.

Jen

[Bluetree]

I would talk to your doctor about the anxiety issues. The cycling seems more like a symptom of the underlying cause. Good luck.

[dianne_1234]

This site helped me understand how safe ordinary bike riding is. Hope it helps you too!

http://www.bicyclinglife.com/SafetyS...SafetyQuiz.htm

[Crankin]

I still get nervous before a lot of rides. 3 times in the bathroom. I overplan everything because of this, but once I clip in, I'm fine. One of the reasons I don't wear my HR monitor anymore (outside) is because of how high my HR is before I start. It goes up even higher when I see how high it is! It settles in once I start riding.
I'm like this with a lot of things, so I just deal with it. I refuse to let fear stop me. My mom and grandmother were paralyzed with fear about everything. And, my mom was a very good athlete who never did anything because of fear.
One thing that helps is if you visualize what your ride will be like and anticipate any problem areas. Find 3 or 4 routes and ride them until you feel comfortable. Then find new ones. And find people to ride with, who you trust!

[JenLeath]

Thank you for your imput. I am usually not fearful. I am totally ok doing an open water swim alone, seems that would be much more dangerous. My husband has asked me not to do this anymore, so I drag him out with me. I don't have anxiety about much else. This is it.

Jen

[mimitabby]

I am like this too.
I'll tell you this, you have to keep fighting it or you will end up locked up in your house. (it's hereditary,, my mother can't drive up any hill... so she's stuck in her subdivision!!! )

I feel it particularly now, since I haven't been riding much all winter... Instead of looking forward to riding, I am dreading it. Once I get on the bike, I do have fun..
but man.. You are not alone. And yes, there is medication you can take for it, but I don't want to do that!

[Bluetree]

My best friend was prone to anxiety attacks with many of the same symptoms: sweaty palms, racing heart, stomache aches, panic attacks etc. She was irrationally fearful of doing certain things (i.e. signaling when changing lanes... she thought people would see her signal, and then intentionally try to cut her off) even though she had done them thousands of times before.

She was prescribed short-term anti-anxiety medication or anti-depressant (forgot which one) which did wonders for her. She was only on it for a few months. She has been free from the anxiety and panic attacks for years now. I'm not a big proponent of medication, but sometimes it's a good thing.

[momof4greatkids]

I have major anxiety about riding my bike. Once I get out, with other cyclist I am pretty good. I have fun and wonder why I don't do this more. Then I go home and go about my life. The option to ride again creeps up and I get terrified. While driving to or getting ready for a ride, I get stomache aches, sweaty palms. I am afraid of other cars, gravel, getting stuck in my pedals and then possible dying or getting really hurt . Jen

Hi Jen...big hug, you are not alone. I feel the same way, especially in a group, and especially about getting out of my pedals. Sometimes I lay in bed, thinking about a ride and my heart will race thinking about all the things that could go wrong.

For a while I would just ride up and down my street, or on the trail, in very safe places.

It helps me to ride w/just one other person, and I'm super-lucky to have a great guy to ride with, who is experienced and safe, not a hammer-head.

On club rides, w/more than 2 or 3 people, I'm still pretty skittish. I'm unclipping 500 yards ahead of every intersection, or possible stopping point. This makes me a little slower than everyone else pulling away (since we often don't have to stop) but.....I always say, I'd rather be last than plastered on the windshield.

I wish you well. Try venturing out of your safe territory a little at a time, in small increments. Find a good friend to ride with who understands your fears and will help you along.

I wish you were close to me I would love to ride w/you. Are you near NE Ohio?

Colleen

[lacyliz]

Hi Jen,

You are definitely not alone. I've suffered from anxiety about a few things in the past and I know how criplling it can be. I've also worked with people (I'm a clinical social worker) who suffer with transient panic or have a mild phobia about a certain thing.

The great thing is you are out of the closet with it - that's the best thing. Other than what the other girls have said and without know other things about you, my only other couple of comments/questions are: Did you ever fall off your bike? If so, did the anxiety start afterward?

Also, when you think about going for a ride- are you thinking of going for miles or traveling very fast or doing a lot - if so, you might want to make a deal with your self: start out just riding on your driveway. then a tiny bit more when you feel comfortable, ride at a slow, easy to maneuver speed, etc. The other thing is you could try "book ending" your rides - call someone before you leave and tell them that you'll call them when you get back and what that time should be. This way you are really "riding alone"- someone will know where you are. You can even share your route. These things might sound corney- but usually help.

Also, like a couple of people said - there are short-acting meds that could help - beta blockers, etc. - someone who has treated panic/phobias would know best.

Let us know how you are doing. BIG Hugs to you. It's going to be OK.

[teigyr]

Hi Jen,

Noooo....you are definitely not alone. I never really read it described so well though and I didn't know what my problem was. I actually have nightmares that I am not strong enough to go up a hill and have to unclip but I'm going so slow I can't unclip in time. I also unclip when cornering, unclip when people are slowing down...etc. I am also learning routes where I live and I haven't ridden around traffic in the past few years. The few times I've been on streets with cars, I feel like they are so close and I almost go into panic mode.

There have been times when I want to ride and I get ready to ride and I just sit there all tensed up. When I actually ride though, I feel great! Unless there are cars, of course.

Please let us know what works for you! The idea of looking for roads with good bike lanes/shoulders looks like a good idea. The problem with bike trails, nice as they are, is they continue to shelter me from things I should be learning to cope with. (Not to mention they don't have enough hills!) I think finding a good ride buddy, as mentioned above, would help you tons especially if the person knows good bike routes. I think cycling should be something we look forward to! I remember back when I knew experienced cyclists, we could share routes and sometimes that is better than heading out on your own and finding yourself on a narrow road with cars speeding by...

good luck. I'm sure by identifying the problem, you will find ways to manage it.

[MyLitespeed]

I have a big fear of riding sometimes also, like today. It just didn't feel right before I even climbed on the bike. During the whole ride I found it hard to turn the pedals to start again once I had come to a stop. I made my self do the route I wanted but shortened it up because of the way I felt. Sometimes it gets so bad that I feel like the bike will fall over at any moment but I can't bring myself to just turn the pedals. I have had some hypnosis to help me with my fear and it has helped quite a bit. Most days I can do fine, but once in a while I have my off days. I know the hypnosis has helped me a lot when it comes to riding our tandem (I'm just the stoker), I was terrified going around corners (even at a slow pace) or going down hill. I keep a journal of how I feel about each ride and overall I have improved quite a bit. I know that eating a power bar just before I go on my ride seems to help a lot, (this morning I didn't do it). I know that I will have good days and bad days, but the good days are definitely out weighing the bad days by a lot.

[JenLeath]

I did sign up with a local cycling club. They have started riding, but they start a little earlier than I can get there. But when the days get a little longer, they will have more rides. I am new to the area, so I haven't found some training partners yet. I just need to get out there. Thanks for the anxiety info, but this is the only thing I have any anxiety about. Other than this, I am usually the first one on the horse, so to speak.
Jen