how confident are you?

[gavroche]

I mean, how do you feel while riding? Do you ever fear falling off when going fast down a hill, cornering too fast, dealing with roundabout, diesel spills, motorists in general?
Personally, I was hit from behind when riding my maxi scooter and have not riden one since. On my bike though I feel confident. Maybe it is because speed is not so much an issue?
Ever since I was a kid, I have always felt "at home" on a pushbike.
So, as you are riding, do all the dangers associated with being on two wheels ever cross your minds?

 

[numbnuts]

Too much confident can breed contempt with all the years Ihave been riding I never take anything for granted and I treat all other road users as complete idiots, I’ve had some close calls with motorists, but never been hit by one, well not yet anyway.

 

[lukesdad]

I think everybody cycling on the highway should be confident in their abilities. If they are nt they shouldn t really be there in the first place.

 

[gavroche]

I agree with you but you need confidence to make the right decisions and keep away hesitation.

 

[lukesdad]

I agree with you but you need confidence to make the right decisions and keep away hesitation.

My point exactly.

 

[henshaw11]

...but if you're not confident to begin with, you don't get it by cycling in the back garden !

Having cycled an upright since I was a kid, a few years I moved over to a 'bent. Confident at cornering ? No Confident at slow-speed handling ? No. Confident I could get a clean get away at junctions/light or hillstarts ? No. But it comes with practice, and picking your time on the road to minimise hassle/impatience from other road users helps. Do you remember being a learner driver..?

Some years ago I lost some of my confidence on an mtb having twisted an already knackered knee, mtbing hasn't really been the same since, it's always at the back of my mind

 

[Dayvo]

I'm confident in most situations and conditions.

Left hooks, pot-holes, glass in road, close overtakes and pull-outs are beyond our control or anticipation.

I don't ride when the conditions are dangerous: snow and ice, and I don't feel too comfortable in very heavy side winds (fortunately they are quite rare).

 

[smokeysmoo]

I have complete confidence in my abilities, however, I have curbed my speed on descents since an accident a few years ago. I can't afford to be laid up, and the older you get the longer it seems to take to recover from such things

 

[danger mouse]

Isn't it equally the amount of confidence in other road users that should occasionally curb enthusiasm.

Same applies to things out of your control. Unknown roads conditions, puntctures, mechanical failure

All this can result in injury or worse.

It seems to me the older I get the more cautious I become.

More confident in my own abilities but more aware of how painful things can be.

Its the same on my motorbike.

The older I get the slower I get.

 

[XmisterIS]

It depends on the conditions. If it's a nice wide, clear road in good conditions, I feel very confident. If it's raining like someone turned a shower on, and it's a narrow, winding road with blind bends and gravel all over the place, I take it very easy.

 

[buggi]

confidence comes with competence i think, and you don't get competent at doing something until you've done it for a while.

personally for me, i'm confident in traffic. It doesn't scare me and i'm very assertive, I've never been frightened of it, but the assertiveness and taking control has come with the experience. Therefore my confidence has blossomed as i've gained more competence.

However, i have had a couple of croppers. i've come off downhill and broken my collar bone (thanks to another riider who decided to emergency brake with no warning because she decided we missed the turn) and i've come off on a corner on wet gravel causing another trip to hospital (thankfully nothing broken but enough bruising to keep me off work for a week and limp for 6).

Thus, i'm now nervous riding in a group, especially if we're heading down an unfamiliar hill fast, and i always hold back (fine on my own tho).

And i hate gravel.

 

[Smokin Joe]

confidence comes with competence i think, and you don't get competent at doing something until you've done it for a while.

personally for me, i'm confident in traffic. It doesn't scare me and i'm very assertive, I've never been frightened of it, but the assertiveness and taking control has come with the experience. Therefore my confidence has blossomed as i've gained more competence.

However, i have had a couple of croppers. i've come off downhill and broken my collar bone (thanks to another riider who decided to emergency brake with no warning because she decided we missed the turn) and i've come off on a corner on wet gravel causing another trip to hospital (thankfully nothing broken but enough bruising to keep me off work for a week and limp for 6).

Thus, i'm now nervous riding in a group, especially if we're heading down an unfamiliar hill fast, and i always hold back (fine on my own tho).

And i hate gravel.

Same here.

I came off at speed on gravel during a race about 40 years ago and still have some scars on my right knee, along with painful memories of having the stuff dug out. Wet leaves I am not comfortable with either.

 

[apollo179]

personally for me, i'm confident in traffic. It doesn't scare me and i'm very assertive, I've never been frightened of it, but the assertiveness and taking control has come with the experience. Therefore my confidence has blossomed as i've gained more competence.

+1
I sometimes find cycling in the rain in the dark on busy roads just to much however confident / competent i am and just cycle on the pavement.
Also i do tend to consider the potential for catastrophic mechanical failure as i freewheel on fast descents - sobering antidote to going to fast.

 

[Angelfishsolo]

I know my abilities and limitations. I am not confident enough to take a downhill bend at breakneck speed so I don't. I am perfectly confident to ride in heavy traffic so I do.

One thing I would add is that some people confuse cockiness with confidence. Think of a young driver who has just passed his test. He is far more likely to drive above his limits until he crashes as he is overly cocky in his abilities.

 

[John90]

I'm more risk averse at everything than I was 20 years ago. With cycling it's particularly noticeable with my downhill speed. I never go over 27mph even on the steepest, clearest, straightest descent.