Confidence after a crash

[Cold]

I crashed 3 weeks ago coming down a long hill, I clipped the kerb and ended up flying through the air horizontally with my feet still attached to my pedals landed quite hard leaving a fair bit of skin on the road a two day headache and had to buy a new helmet.
I started riding again a few days later but since then I've been like an old lady when going round corners and feel nervous when I start speed up on downhills and feel like I'm constantly braking.

Anyone been in a similair situation and how long did it take roughly to get back to normal.

 

[Easytigers]

Been there (although my off probably wasn't as severe as yours!). Took a good couple of weeks, maybe even a month or two until it felt normal again. Just keep at it :-)

 

[smokeysmoo]

It's a cliche but it's bang on, time is a great healer.

Take your time and your confidence will build back up. I had a big spill a few years ago and got a concussion, bruised ribs and a broken ankle for my efforts.

It took some time, (and a temporary switch back to flat pedals), but I got my mojo back and whilst I still control my descent speeds, (generally don't exceed 40 mph nowadays), I did get back to where I was.

 

[Herzog]

Crashed and broke my femur (through no fault of my own - mechanical on a borrowed bike) last May on a fast descent - started racing again early March (so 10 months later) and although I'm not fully confident riding in the pack, the confidence is coming back...slowly.

You'll get there, it takes time and it's not easy, but as long as you understand why you crashed, the confidence will come.

 

[Cold]

I guess I will take it easy and see how it goes.

 

[MattE72]

A dog walker veered in front of me and it was either her or the dog. I chose her. Straight over the bars hit her on the bonce with my jaw, luckily it wasn't broken, ligament damaged only and a couple of sprains. She was only badly bruised. To be fair it scared me because it could've been much worse but it was my pride that took a pretty big dent! It took me about 3 weeks to get back on the bike. Time as they say is a great healer so I'm sure you'll feel like hitting the road (metaphorically speaking) sooner rather than later.

I will say one other thing: It's made me a better, safer rider.

 

[steve52]

it will come, but until it dose concentrate on reading the road well ahead and planning hopefully this will keep your mind busy and away from what if,s (deal with what is) and the god im going to fall,(avoid self for-filling prophecy)
one last thing look where you want to go not where you don't,(its called object fixation) one car one desert one rock the driver keeps looking at the rock,gets closer starts thinking i don't want to hit that rock etc he hits the rock

 

[Dave 123]

Back last summer I had a slow speed comedy off on greasy wet cyclepath. I knackered a couple of ribs and put some nice holes in my knees and elbow.
I didn't ride for 2 weeks after due to holiday, but once back on the bike I was taking corners 25 % slower than I had been. I was very tense.
It was just last week that I noticed that I'd gone into a fairly sharp corner banking over a fair bit..... it either means I'm over it or should put the stabilisers back on!

 

[Big Nick]

I don't think you ever go back to 'normal' as you put it

I've crashed in cars, motorbikes and cycles and I'm much more aware of the dangers now than I ever was which ain't a bad thing

You'll get some confidence back but how much depends on the individual

 

[dan_bo]

You can always tell when a MTBer hasnt had a big atack for a while-they go faater and faster until they do!

 

[MikeG]

I'm timid as hell down hills and around bends. Particularly down hills. The older I get, the more timid I get. Take your lessons from your falls, and apply them.............. and don't even try to get back to being as fast as you once were.

Jeez, there are some horrible sounding accidents on just this one page. I'm going to go even slower.

 

[steveindenmark]

It is a timely reminder that you are mortal. Just takecit easy and the confidence will come back.

It took me over 8 years to get back on a motorbike after my spill.

Steve

 

[skinnydog1973]

I broke my neck when i fell off my bike 72 days ago, on sunday i went for my first ride since did a steady 30 miles didnt feel as nervous as i thought but i was on the cycle track,im hoping to be back on the roads in a few weeks but i can tell its knocked my confidence a bit, i used to fly down the hills but now i have that doubt in my mind about what would happen if i fall off but hopefully the confidence will come back in time.

 

[HLaB]

Its perfectly normal to be a wee bit hesitant after an off (I've been there and in someways maybe its age, still am) but keep at it and you'll gradually start to flow better. Don't think I'd place a time on it though just let it come naturally.

 

[SpokeyDokey]

I came off twice last year in quick succession.

Once on gravelly bend exiting underpass going from darkness to bright sun - couldn't see the gravel.

Then few weeks later I hit a bend with a diesel spillage on hit.

Lots of cuts and bruises esp' on first accident.

A year on I still do not have my confidence back esp' on twisty lanes with varying road surfaces eg gritty/gravelly tarmac and damp 'shiny' tarmac. I don't think it will ever come back fully. Here's why:

It *loody hurts when you come off and a lot of damage is caused to your body. Both of my 'offs' were at around 10-12mph - I shudder to think what an 'off' at much higher speeds would do and feel like.

At age 57 it takes a LONG time for things to heal. Some aches and pains seem to stay with you indefinitely.

Relatively speaking my cuts and bruises were slight - I know they could possibly have been a lot worse.

For these reasons I now err on the side of caution and whilst I was far from gung-ho (my testosterone fueled years are a long way in the past) I take it very very easy on twists and turns and have a paranoid concentration re road surfaces.

As an aside - I rode MTB's on roads for years and the things never once came unglued. Within months of getting on a skinny tyred road bike I came off twice.

I listen to the arguments as to how skinny smooth tyres grip the road etc but I am convinced that something wide and with knobbly bits on does a whole lot better job of digging in to the roads I ride on ie country lanes with rough tarmac surfaces.

I am off my bike at the mo' due to health issues but am researching fatter/knobblier tyres for my CX (I currently have Marathon Supreme 32mm) for when I get back on.

To the OP - hope you recover well and get your mojo back soon. Just take it easy out there.