Cyclopathic
Veteran
- Location
- Leicester.
I did get a bit anxious once just before I took my unicycle across Niagra Falls on a tight rope.
Fear?
- Thread starter Bicycle
- Start date
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It's a curious fact of life that people seem to get more risk averse as they get older. You'd think evolution would tend to make you look after yourself more in your reproductive prime.
As for the question, I usually feel slightly apprehensive setting off in the morning but I'm not sure if that is the ride or the work waiting for me at the end of it.
Chilternrides
New Member
I have this feeling occasionally; oddly though it happened more when I was younger. I'm nearly fifty now and it's usually other people who do the fear thing on my behalf now.
Another strange feeling I get is at the end of a ride sometimes, especially my commute; I'll get to the end and I usually have a couple of minutes cool down time, give my face a bit of wipe, gloves off etc. and then I'll experience an odd feeling that "I've made it ok again," when I look at the roads and traffic around me thinking, "what the #### were you doing riding amongst that lot?"
Within a minute or so the fizzy pop feeling of my bloodstream redistributing itself and the half jelly-half tight feeling in my legs reminds me why I do it, and the creeps go away. (This could be a whole new topic!).
Then I go and do it again the next day and all is well!
To the OP, I think it's a fairly normal occasional sanity check.
Another strange feeling I get is at the end of a ride sometimes, especially my commute; I'll get to the end and I usually have a couple of minutes cool down time, give my face a bit of wipe, gloves off etc. and then I'll experience an odd feeling that "I've made it ok again," when I look at the roads and traffic around me thinking, "what the #### were you doing riding amongst that lot?"
Within a minute or so the fizzy pop feeling of my bloodstream redistributing itself and the half jelly-half tight feeling in my legs reminds me why I do it, and the creeps go away. (This could be a whole new topic!).
Then I go and do it again the next day and all is well!
To the OP, I think it's a fairly normal occasional sanity check.
pepecat
Well-Known Member
- Location
- Dodging the Buzes in Brum
Yeah, I get this occasionally. Not when i'm ON the bike - it's usually some unrelated time, usually about 3am when i can't sleep. Then i get thinking how dangerous cycling could be, how easily we can get taken out by cars...... A friend was pretty badly bruised after a motorcycle crash and she was only going at around 20mph and had full leathers on. Imagine coming off your bike going down a hill.... wearing only a thin layer of lycra.... ouch.....
Doesn't generally stop me getting on the bike, and i don't get all that worried when i'm out, it's the occasional sudden realisation of what COULD happen that does it.
Doesn't generally stop me getting on the bike, and i don't get all that worried when i'm out, it's the occasional sudden realisation of what COULD happen that does it.
Monsieur Remings
Guru
- Location
- Yatton UK
Yep, sometimes get this and don't think it's about being rational or not. Heed your gut feeling.
Small thing happened a number of months ago - I had work in the afternoon as always on a Wednesday and I was in a real 'should I or shan't I' go for a spin. I just had this apprehension that I couldn't explain but I'd had before.
Anyway I soon got into my ride but just before I really got my head down for the descent down Cheddar Gorge, I had a blowout! It happened on a corner and I only just controlled the bike doing just over 20mph at the time. A bit scary. Next time I might heed that gut feeling.
Small thing happened a number of months ago - I had work in the afternoon as always on a Wednesday and I was in a real 'should I or shan't I' go for a spin. I just had this apprehension that I couldn't explain but I'd had before.
Anyway I soon got into my ride but just before I really got my head down for the descent down Cheddar Gorge, I had a blowout! It happened on a corner and I only just controlled the bike doing just over 20mph at the time. A bit scary. Next time I might heed that gut feeling.
slowmotion
Quite dreadful
- Location
- lost somewhere
I think it's a matter of what I am used to, personally. I commute daily in heavy urban traffic that would have filled me with fear three years ago, but I'm totally used to it now and enjoy every second. I know the risky bits and hope to get by. If I went up another major road nearby on the commute, I would be really nervous. A fear of the unknown, that's all.
apollo179
Well-Known Member
Sounds like anxiety. Im not a qualified phsychologist so cant give proper advice but the general rule is if you face your fears they go away , if you avoid them they get deeper seated - so (obviously) just carry on biking (film anyone ?)
I think its very common - people get anxiety for all types of things and over a whole range of serious , from your slight thing to the quite debilitating. I have a few of my own that i wont bore you with.
I think its very common - people get anxiety for all types of things and over a whole range of serious , from your slight thing to the quite debilitating. I have a few of my own that i wont bore you with.
I have had the same. Sometimes, it feels like some kind of 6th sense or something. No reason to feel it at all, it just happens out of the blue. Further, if I get that feeling then have some kind of minor disruptive occurrence (misplacing my gloves, finding a tyre is soft, etc etc etc) then I take that as some kind of sign, a confirmation that all is not right in the universe... and I don't ride.
Clearly, it is irrational.... but why take the risk?
Cyclist33
Guest
- Location
- Warrington
If one could collate all the influencing factors, stimuli, case-specific suggestive similarities to things recently seen or heard, read about or even smelled, and could analyse that against the individual rider's psychological history and evidence based likelihood of a nervous response, then one could account for this well enough.
It's a big "if", though.
It's a big "if", though.
Hip Priest
Veteran
I get it now and again. I've anxiety and phobia problems in the past, so I know it's better in the long term not to shrink from such feelings. Get out there and the fear fades.
apollo179
Well-Known Member
Aha (in best Alan Partridge stylie) i hope that dosnt mean youve shrank away from the 10mile time trial.
And on that bomshell !
Hip Priest
Veteran
The only thing stopping me doing a 10 mile time trial is time itself. I only get to ride my road bike once a week, so prefer to do a distance ride, in preparation for my first sportive(s) next year.