Always happy to be alive after a ride - fear of riding?

[chicago]

learn how to fix a flat, fix your chain, repair your chain if it breaks... take a bike maintenance class, I did!! It's a great confidence booster. I ride alone all the time... 80 mile trips, out on bare roads alone. I am, at times, afraid a little... but I know... if my bike breaks beyond repair, I have money and a phone. If it's fixable, I can fix it

I had just got out of a relationship 6mo earlier to a very smart cyclist. I didn't need to know how to fix a flat, I had him After we split, I swore to never depend on anyone again for my bike stuff... except the hard stuff. I signed for a bike maintenance class to learn how to fix a flat, fix my chain, tweak my derailer(sp), etc, etc.

I signed up for the class... the only female in the class... being single again, I was feeling powerful, glad to be back on my own. I swore off relationships... I was done.

Guess who I'm now engaged to... the bike maintenance teacher, LOL!!

You just never know what you're gonna get by wanting to learn new things... might turn into a double winner, like mine

[OakLeaf]

LCI courses cover bike maintenance, too ... you could make progress on addressing both your fears in one weekend.

Search by state here: http://www.bikeleague.org/programs/e...e_schedule.php

[indysteel]

Chicago, that is an awesome story! Congrats! May the two of you enjoy many happy years together...riding and repairing bikes!!!

[OakLeaf]

One thing that will definitely be covered in any skills course - looking at the ground is a sure way to wind up on it, and that's never more true than at low speed. Keep your gaze up, only glance down periodically to check the surface. It's a huge temptation when you're feeling uncertain, and definitely something I deal with on the moto. Until you find a course, find a nice smooth swath of grass to practice low-speed drills on - a school athletic field, or maybe you have a lawn - somewhere that falling over won't hurt much, if at all, there are no cars, and you can test moves that you wouldn't be confident enough to try on the road.

[gabriellesca]

Thanks Oak - that's a great point. Because of a disability with my ankle, when I walk I have to watch where I'm going - mostly because my balance isn't secure. Which is why, I think balance is a big deal to me on the bike. But this does help. I don't know how often I look down at the pavement but this is a good thing for me to be aware of.

Chicago - LOVE LOVE that story. I should take a class - I will look at the link - thanks Oak.

Maybe just taking the time to take the course and talk to them and get their feedback on balance and traffic and clipping in and out, etc will help my fear!