Edge/Exposure fear

[Catrin]

When you first started mountain biking, did you have a problem with exposed edges/drop-offs? How did you get over that?

I've been told night riding is the best way to get over it because you can only see what the light illuminates and you learn to totally focus on that. That does make sense to me, but as a beginner, I don't think my skills or confidence level is ready for that.

I do already have the "falling off the edge" thing taken care of, and neither me nor my mountain bike were hurt in the process I really try to focus down the trail, but inevitably my eye gets drawn by that edge...I do have a fear of heights so this is probably complicating things.

Right now I figure the best I can do is each time I ride the exposed portions of the trail is to try to ride it a little further than I did last time before I walk the rest of it. My line is straighter than it once was, and at least I am not in heart-pounding fear of that edge

It would be helpful to read that others have overcome this, and I understand it is quite common for novice mountain bikers.

[Irulan]

Straight line riding, like on a 2x12.

Practice looking DOWN the trail, at a point in front of your tires. Your bike will go where your eyes go. Otherwise saying, don't look at the edge.

[spokewench]

When you first started mountain biking, did you have a problem with exposed edges/drop-offs? How did you get over that?

I've been told night riding is the best way to get over it because you can only see what the light illuminates and you learn to totally focus on that. That does make sense to me, but as a beginner, I don't think my skills or confidence level is ready for that.

I do already have the "falling off the edge" thing taken care of, and neither me nor my mountain bike were hurt in the process I really try to focus down the trail, but inevitably my eye gets drawn by that edge...I do have a fear of heights so this is probably complicating things.

Right now I figure the best I can do is each time I ride the exposed portions of the trail is to try to ride it a little further than I did last time before I walk the rest of it. My line is straighter than it once was, and at least I am not in heart-pounding fear of that edge

It would be helpful to read that others have overcome this, and I understand it is quite common for novice mountain bikers.

Don't mean to alarm you - it gets better; but I road and raced mountain bikes for almost 15-20 years. I never got over the exposure issue. Some do, some don't. But, then again, I do have some fear of heights!

[Catrin]

Straight line riding, like on a 2x12.

Practice looking DOWN the trail, at a point in front of your tires. Your bike will go where your eyes go. Otherwise saying, don't look at the edge.

Good idea! I know I can do it, I had a private skills session last month and she had me riding a narrow rock wall at the end of it It helped that there was only a couple of inches to the ground on either side. I will see about picking up a scrap 2x12 that I can practice on. Somehow I HAVE to stop looking at that edge...

[Aggie_Ama]

I don't know what made it start clicking but I WOULD NOT night ride to get comfortable. IMO that is a horrible idea as new as you are. My experience is night riding is fun, a totally different experience but it is also scary because you can see so little. I did it on a trail I ride more than any other and have rode on average once a week. It may be different for others but for me being a bit timid I wouldn't do it until I had been riding for a while.

But trying to figure out what is going on when you are riding is a good idea. Are you looking over the edge? Well don't do that! You know your bike goes where you look and you don't want it going over the edge.

Slow drills will help you get comfortable with body english. My instructor had us ride our bikes as slow as possible in a straight line. This will give you the confidence in your balance.

One thing I do on challenging sections of trail is mentally try to remember where I got the last time and go past it. It is kind of my reward, maybe I didn't ride the whole way but I knew I was progressing.

[Adventure Girl]

Straight line riding, like on a 2x12.

Practice looking DOWN the trail, at a point in front of your tires. Your bike will go where your eyes go. Otherwise saying, don't look at the edge.

This is a GREAT drill. We did it at a skills camp.

First: 12" stripe painted on the ground
Second: 2 x 12 board on the ground
Finally: 2 x 12 board about 6" off the ground

And, yes, the key is to look down the trail (board).

[limewave]

Definitely just keep your eyes out on the trail ahead of you. That will help. Especially if you can look 25-30 feet ahead instead of looking right down. I can't believe how much that helps with the fear of immediate obstacles, especially drops and cliffs.

There's a section of trail that I used to ride that I completely did not realize had a huge drop-off until someone pointed it out to me. After that, I was freaked out every time. I had always been so focused on the trail . . .

[jessmarimba]

I am ok with an edge to my left but not to my right. No idea why, since the only time I've fallen off a trail was when it was to my left.

It helps me to ride something like that if I'm following someoneby 50-100 feet - I watch them, and the trail behind them, and don't think about the edge. Probably just helps me focus ahead but I always do better with a "carrot" to make me forget the trail itself.

[Hi Ho Silver]

I second, third or whatever the advice to focus on where you want to go and not on the obstacles you want to avoid.

Years ago there was a hilarious episode of Frasier in which he was trying to learn to ride a bike. Unfortunately, he kept focusing on the obstacles ahead of him (eg, tree, mailbox, etc). And, the eye-mind-body link being what it is, he kept running into the obstacles despite large clear paths around them. Similarly, my nephew was a pole vaulter and was frustrated that he couldn't clear a certain height. I asked him where his eyes were focused and he said "on the pole". I told him to focus a couple feet above the bar. He did and from that point on was able to clear the bar.

[Catrin]

I noticed this dynamic in action this afternoon when riding a brand-new local beginners trail, this was the first time I've ridden it and it is so new that few people know it is there just yet.

This trail has no exposure at all, it is pretty much totally flat. It does wind a fair amount between trees and found myself grabbing a tree or two because I was looking at the tree and not at the way through the trees. I know better... I just kept repeating two things to myself - "pedal, pedal, pedal" and "look down the trail, don't steer"

Then I got in some mud accidentally, no traction, fell over with my bike, and actually hit the TOP of my head/helmet on the ground It was a soft yet firm hit, we will see if I've a stiff neck in the morning. It was just tacky mud and leaves, so nothing hard or edgy struck my lovely Fox Flux helmet. Thankfully there was a hole in the ground next to a log where the end of my Ergon grip bar-end fit perfectly, so no damage

The odds of falling and ONLY hitting the TOP of my head on the ground again is pretty slim to none I think

I appreciate the advice and will follow up on it. I suspect that a lot will be solved by allowing myself to go a bit faster and looking further down the trail - and I am getting better at the latter.

[laura*]

I'm not quite sure what sorts of edges you are talking about...

Look at this vintage photo. Notice the concrete arch the train is passing over? The sheer face you see in the picture is only about 1/3 of the total vertical drop.

Years ago I had enough courage to bicycle in the two foot wide clear area between the railroad track ballast rocks and the lip of the arch. I've since come to my senses and cross over to the uphill side of the tracks. (It's also been years since I've biked there 'cause "they've" gotten real prissy about bikes on the tracks.)

I think the point here is that if one has the confidence that one won't wreck/crash/fall-over that one can ride in very scary places.

[Irulan]

riding painted street lines or curbs is another way to practice this

[Catrin]

riding painted street lines or curbs is another way to practice this

I've been doing this with my Gunnar without a problem (painted lines, not curbs), but perhaps it would be helpful to do this with my Jamis instead... I understand, intellectually, what I need to do. It is simply to do it and to persuade my rebellious eyeballs to stay on/down the trail.

Thanks again for all of the suggestions, it is very helpful to know that this is a common problem for mtb newbies.

Aggie - I had already decided NOT to take the night-ride approach, at least not at this point in my development as a mountain biker. I have spoken with a few other women I've met in Brown County who took this route at their husband's encouragement. It worked well for them but I suspect they had more experience on two wheels in general than I do...

When I can ride more aggressively on the trail and am more comfortable with my skills in general then I will consider the night ride option - but that won't be this year...