ycowley Posted October 16, 2014 Posted October 16, 2014 I know this is a strange thing to post, but here we go anyway. I admit I am scared on all bikes, but a mountain bike scares the life out of me after I fell so badly in the last race I did. How do I get rid of the fear so I can actually ride my mountain bike like it was built to ride it. Also, how do I get rid of the fear of going downhill on my road bike. Silly I know but it is in my mind all the time.
Letum911 Posted October 16, 2014 Posted October 16, 2014 Best remedy is TITS. Start at the bottom and work from there. Put flat pedals on your bike in the beginning until you're comfortable on the bike. If you want someone to show you the basics of technical riding I can help you (free of charge), just drop me a PM
Daniel J Méssem Posted October 16, 2014 Posted October 16, 2014 Awesome book really helped me, ebook on kindle so no excuses Mastering Mountain Bike Skills - 2nd Edition by Brian Lopes (Author), Lee McCormack (Author)+ regular visits to the pwc cycle park
DJ84 Posted October 16, 2014 Posted October 16, 2014 What Letum911 said. Coming from motorcross the only way to go faster and faster is to follow someone better(or have huge balls/no brains).You will still be held back by your own boundaries but you will learn how far you can push them.
Hairy Posted October 16, 2014 Posted October 16, 2014 you are going to have to learn to accept that you can only control things so far and if you fall, then you fall. staying relaxed on the bike will change your whole experience and if you are loose (Not tense holding tight on the bars, etc) you might well ride out those "close calls" that would have had you hit the dirt before when in a "tense" state. Just let go and flow ............ not necessarily let go of the brakes, but let go of your fears.
hayleyearth Posted October 16, 2014 Posted October 16, 2014 Falling is weird, because sometimes you have a crash that seemed super hard and it ended being nothing on the body, but then again the simple ones can leave you scared for months! I had a not-so-soft-landing last week with a srupid small fall, I hurt my knee and ribs (again) and I found that when I hurt my ribs that I am scared for a while. I did go ride on Sunday (the JUMA) where I was scared to fall in the drains and cut my knee further open and then get infection, but not much more scared than that. I found yesterday on a small ride around the block that I was scared to attempt to manual, I was scared to fall in general, but it is because my knee has been giving me endless issues this week and I am just frustrated so dont want to hurt it further. As said...TITS will help, but for me it was also confidence in my bike that helped me being more confident over all. I have found the more I 'just relax' on the bike the better it goes (and yes this is very hard at 1st). Try try try and dont give up. May try small steps with an 'every now and again risk'.When I ride trails I do what I know I can and then by the end of the day I usually go "next time I would like to try 'that'".......('that' is something new)The crowd I ride with are super ballsy and do things that will still take me a couple of years to learn, but they have helped me loads to progress! We are doing a DH ride on Saturday morning at 139 (that is close to the turn-off nr 139 on the N1 = Garsfontein) in PTA. You are welcome to come join. Most of the track is ridable with a normal bike and there is sections to practice almost anything on. Fun with okes that dont take life too serious but can wip a bike around Ride with people that can sum you up so they will be able to tell you "you will be able to do that". We all progress that way!
Steven Knoetze (sk27) Posted October 16, 2014 Posted October 16, 2014 If I haven't scared myself at least once on a ride it generally wasn't a good ride. It's how you learn. Great advice above.
Letum911 Posted October 16, 2014 Posted October 16, 2014 Falling is weird, because sometimes you have a crash that seemed super hard and it ended being nothing on the body, but then again the simple ones can leave you scared for months! I had a not-so-soft-landing last week with a srupid small fall, I hurt my knee and ribs (again) and I found that when I hurt my ribs that I am scared for a while. I did go ride on Sunday (the JUMA) where I was scared to fall in the drains and cut my knee further open and then get infection, but not much more scared than that. I found yesterday on a small ride around the block that I was scared to attempt to manual, I was scared to fall in general, but it is because my knee has been giving me endless issues this week and I am just frustrated so dont want to hurt it further. As said...TITS will help, but for me it was also confidence in my bike that helped me being more confident over all. I have found the more I 'just relax' on the bike the better it goes (and yes this is very hard at 1st). Try try try and dont give up. May try small steps with an 'every now and again risk'.When I ride trails I do what I know I can and then by the end of the day I usually go "next time I would like to try 'that'".......('that' is something new)The crowd I ride with are super ballsy and do things that will still take me a couple of years to learn, but they have helped me loads to progress! We are doing a DH ride on Saturday morning at 139 (that is close to the turn-off nr 139 on the N1 = Garsfontein) in PTA. You are welcome to come join. Most of the track is ridable with a normal bike and there is sections to practice almost anything on. Fun with okes that dont take life too serious but can wip a bike around Ride with people that can sum you up so they will be able to tell you "you will be able to do that". We all progress that way! @Hayleyearth please let me know a week or so before you guys come to Pta again, would love to ride 139 but I'm scared to go alone with the amount of people living there. Peach only lets me know when he wants a trials lesson
Sepia Posted October 16, 2014 Posted October 16, 2014 @OP. It depends on you age I would say? The older you are the harder you fall! I am also not scared but PETRIFIED of coming pipe. The last time I fell it cost me R60 000 and a pinned hip and leg. I have had plenty subsequent saddle time (thankfully) but unfortunately fear wins every time these days. My, how things have changed.I hope it is not the same with you? I would love to go balls to wall again.
cadenceblur Posted October 16, 2014 Posted October 16, 2014 Awesome book really helped me, ebook on kindle so no excuses Mastering Mountain Bike Skills - 2nd Edition by Brian Lopes (Author), Lee McCormack (Author)+ regular visits to the pwc cycle park this is an awesome book, one that i would recommend, very good pointers that you can try when on the trail. Why not also enrol in a skills clinic - you will gain so much confidence in that. In fact, I think it was Brian Lopes that actually said - " a skills clinic will benefit your riding so much more than any bike upgrade"
hayleyearth Posted October 16, 2014 Posted October 16, 2014 @Hayleyearth please let me know a week or so before you guys come to Pta again, would love to ride 139 but I'm scared to go alone with the amount of people living there. Peach only lets me know when he wants a trials lesson Hahahaha...you better hope it is a good day for us at 139 on Saturday then. It seems when we go to a place and the riders have a general crap day (punctures / crashes / cant get sections right as they want / if I'm too scared to do what I went to do) then we dont return there for a couple of weeks. We haven't been there in ages. (Only been Thaba in the last 2 months, others did HK). I will let you know though.
Uni Posted October 16, 2014 Posted October 16, 2014 nearly 2 yrs on a mtb without having ridden one for over 20yrs I'm still scared. I know the white knuckle grip of death very well when descending.Often i freak out before I actually fall, and realise it's all in my head.most counter intuitive advice ever from anyone - don't brake - yes it's true but as someone scared to hurt themselves, it doesn't make sense.Also good advice from TumbleWeed to stay loose - in those moments when i have a split second to decide to brake and have a lie down or to just stay calm and loose and ride it out - the latter works out (so far) - although lie downs still happen they aren't AS scary.
James Mulholland Posted October 16, 2014 Posted October 16, 2014 Best remedy is TITS. Start at the bottom and work from there. Put flat pedals on your bike in the beginning until you're comfortable on the bike. If you want someone to show you the basics of technical riding I can help you (free of charge), just drop me a PM What does TITS stand for?
Mousea Posted October 16, 2014 Posted October 16, 2014 If you bail, get up and ride the same part of the track straight away.Not serious if you ride it slower. But it makes the brain say "Hey that wasn't so bad"
Letum911 Posted October 16, 2014 Posted October 16, 2014 What does TITS stand for?Now that depends on where you are . But generally on the hub it means Time In The Saddle
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