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not resolvedOver the last few months, I have gradually developed a fear of going around corners too fast especially downhill. This is most annoying on weekend rides, it also affects some bits of my commute especially when it's wet.
Any advice? Anyone had this problem and overcome it?
It sounds very sensible. I'm extremely wary of corners in the wet, especially downhill. Doesn't take much to lose traction and have the bike slide away so I'm slow, wide and upright. Sorry if that's not helpful but that sensation is your body's way of keeping you in one piece. I don't try to overcome it - I listen to it and go with it.
I developed that almost seven years ago to the day when I slid off on a patch of diesel on the left-hand downhill corner on Bank Street. I've gradually got a bit more confident less cautious again (not helped by different wheelbase and weight distribution on this bike) but I'd rather go slightly more slowly round corners than get more chin-stitches.
I had a nasty skid going down to Queen St from Charlotte Sq. hit a wet iron manhole cover while at angle, now I am very sensitive there and do not go fast when it is wet
None of this is helping I would imagine. I got the same after coming off the bike cycle speedwaying and breaking my arm. Never completely recovered.
My approach for overcoming it is mountain biking. Which I've not managed to do properly in a while, but when I do gradually the confidence to lean over and have faith in the traction is restored.
I think basically this thread is about 'learning from experience'.
There is an undercurrent that a 'fright' causes an overcaution.
This is sensible!
There's been a knock to self confidence and, perhaps, memories of similar situations not 'going wrong' or a greater awareness of 'random hazards'.
I avoid pools of water near the kerb having painfully come off due to a 'missing' draincover.
I learned many years ago not to expect cars to notice me - and accept my 'right' to be on any bit of the road.
So learn from mistakes/randomness and grandly increase your risk calculation until you are personally comfortable with the balance between 'safety' and 'danger'.
Or is this about speed and the frisson of being 'on the edge'??
I know from the KLM that you were descending more slowly than me (and then overtaking me on the flat) and I'm not a fast descender. So you are certainly not pushing the limits. Try pointing your knee into the apex of the corner and then leaning so that the bike remains slightly more upright than it would otherwise. And try to relax.
Thanks cyclingmollie and others for support. I recognise that relaxing is a key part of the solution so I wish I could find a way to cure the head problem. Tensing up and overbraking unbalances the bike making it even worse.
I am ridiculously cautious at the moment. This am I stopped at the top of the slope near Whitecraig on the River Esk path to let a couple of cyclists past before I went down at 5 mph.
I'm not great on fast corners or downhills either.
Two bits of advice I was given that have helped cornering somewhat are;
1/ rather than just rotate the pedals so the one on the outside of the turn is at the lowest position and one on the inside is at it's highest, push down on the pedal on the outside. If you're feeling unsteady, push down more.
2/ Look at (and out of) the exit of the corner and keep focussed on that - rather than that bit of tarmac 2 or 3m ahead of you. Something about if you can see where you're going, your body will follow.
And of course hanging your bum over the back of the saddle always helps on steep descents.
Well that bit does get covered with wet leaves at this time of year.
Sorry Amir. I didn't get a sense that your jitters were having you going down hills at 5mph. I wonder if it would be worth talking to someone who deal with sports issues like this. An old contact, Kim Bull, is a canoe and kayak trainer and all round sports psychologist who deals with things like anxiety. Have a look at his site - there may be useful things there that help. I've been on a few training courses with him and he can, pretty much, get you to do anything even when you're (quite understandably) genuinely scared. Kim's in Northumberland but I'm sure there are similar people more locally.
Thanks Instography. I'll follow this up.
Amir, I hadn't realised you felt quite so bad about it as we were descending those horrible hills the other day. Hope you can sort it out.
You were definitely making up for any slow (or careful as I like to call it) descending on the climbs though!
I am a slow/nervous descender too and I have seen a couple of articles about this in cycling magazines and they are all extremely unhelpful and revolve around just going really really fast because the bike will be able to cope with tighter corners than you think it can. Wow. Thanks.
Well, perhaps there's enough nervous descenders here to form a mutual support group ;)
Thanks Jackson Priest for chatting to me on the way down to Stow. And it was nice not to be the only one the rest of the group were waiting for.
amir - you say your fear is 'going round corners too fast, especially downhill' , If it is a straight downhill with no corners are you OK? Is the gradient an issue, if not too steep are you OK? Corners on the flat and uphill are also OK?
Sounds like you have taken an understandably cautious approach [sensible to take downhill corner slowly] and tweaked it a bit. Some may see this as a phobia? Obviously this is chat on the internet and not definitive. The usual intervention with a phobia is to expose yourself to the thing you are afraid of in a gradually increasing schedule. Good to pinpoint what the fear is exactly if embarking on such a schedule. Risk with this approach is that the anxiety is addressed and then reappears elsewhere as another phobic reaction to something else. THis sounds less likely here given the original commonsense basis of the fear? Best of luck. Gembo.
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