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.