Back and Afraid

[karatemomLisa]

Hey, so I've introduced myself here before. I finally got a pretty good bike for me. It is a mountain bike and I eventually want a road bike but am saving up. Did anybody else have a fear of riding a bike?

[FunSize]

I never really rode a bike when I was a kid. My boyfriend bought be a bike last year and I honestly said to him, "you're going to have to teach me how to ride this, honestly, I haven't ridden a bike since I was like... 8." I was really scared when I first started riding it. I could stay upright but couldn't turn around in a steet. Scared my bf a couple of times as I almost ran into parked cars.

But... I have an adventurous personality so ill just about try anything. I fell off my bike a couple times. Once in front of a bunch of people, in the middle of a busy road. I was mortified, but this forum helped me realize I wasn't alone in falling, or struggles, or questions. The women on this forum are very encouraging.

The learning curve for bike riding is very fast, too, so the fear subsides quickly.

Also, I'm still terrified on busy roads.

[PamNY]

I had some fear when I returned to biking a few years ago.

Could you be more specific about your concerns? This group is smart and supportive.

I can almost guarantee that someone will have helpful suggestions, and that you will get applause for every bit of progress that you make.

[karatemomLisa]

Afraid of falling or running into other cyclists.

[malkin]

Yes.
The more I ride, the more confidence I get.

If you are really scared of falling, you can try taking your bike on to a grassy or sandy surface and take a couple of fake falls. You are probably tougher than you think.

[PamNY]

Assuming you can balance on the bike and go forward, I'd just start riding. Grassy surface if you have one, empty spot like a parking lot if you don't. Don't go into traffic until you feel confident.

I worked on specific skills (still do). Getting on and off the bike, stopping and waiting (like at a red light), and weaving around obstacles are a few
suggestions.

As FunSize mentioned, the learning curve is pretty fast.

I'd say just do it, and ask here about any specifics that you can't figure out on your own.