I want to ride on beautiful rural roads.... but cars scare me.

[latelatebloomer]

As my buddy Trekhawk says, Good on you, mate! A toast to you for facing your fear and letting friends help you through it. MANY happy miles to you! (another little tip - yoga/stretching to keep your back and neck nice and flexie, so that quick look behind you is fluid, easy, and has a lot of range.)

[emily_in_nc]

froglegs,

Congratulations on your rural ride! I too have been struggling with this fear. I used to ride 1000s of miles yearly on rural roads with very little fear, but I had a serious accident (fractured my pelvis in three places) when two dogs ran out at me on a rural road about 6 miles from home in April '05. After my surgery and recovery, I was just getting back to tentatively riding again that fall, when my father died in an auto accident (also on a rural road near his farm) in Oct. '05. After that, I couldn't bring myself to ride on the road for a long, long time. I just felt way too vulnerable. I took up mountain biking in early summer of 2006, but didn't get back out on my road bike until August of '06, and the first few rides I was almost shaking from fear.

I still struggle with occasional anxiety when I am out there on the road, especially about the possibility of a dog or dogs running out, and to a lesser extent over cars and trucks, but I'm dealing with it the best I can. And the more I ride, the less I get overwhelmed by fear. I've definitely lost my innocence, but if that makes me a safer, more careful rider, then that is a silver lining in all this. I just can't let my life be ruled by fear, no matter how tempting it sometimes is! I'd just miss riding too much -- my passion for this activity runs very deep.

Emily

[RoadRaven]

Hey hey hey again froglegs!

Wll done, glad you enjoyed it, glad you had a go

I am a big fan of rural roads... pleased you have found them to be not soooo daunting

[elk]

I wanna go too...;-) You've inspired me.