Ever get 'the fear'?

BUICK

On a reasonably fast downhill yesterday with the added bonus of considerable traffic volume I suddenly got the fear. It's happened a few times to me now in similar circumstances - but the funny thing is, I'm not thinking 'this is dangerous - oh no I'm scared'... I'll suddenly 'see' a scenario like my seatpost snapping due to an unnoticed knock causing catastrophic failure, all myweight coming down and taking a tumble in front of a speeding car. Or the forks going, chain jamming, wheel coming off... Anyone else ever get this? My tactic so far has been to sweat heavily, but ignore the thought - I figure the adrenalin in itself will mean I'm hyper-aware so actually LESS likely to have something go wrong!

robmanic1

Natural enough, I think you'd have to be lacking in the self-preservation gene not to feel this at times. Usually hits me when tearing down some country lane and picturing a rabbit or pheasant appearing out of a hedgerow in front of me, had some close calls over the years too.

Sea_Green_Incorruptible

Yep. I always imaging the front wheel coming off.

Born of a time when I was about 15 on a cycling holiday with my mates. I bombed down a big hill in Devon with full panniers on, tent on the back - the works. Got to the bottom. Stopped. Lifted the front up and the wheel fell out :shock:. Turns out the quick release had come undone somehow (or I'd forgotten to do it up or something - mists of time now).

I have been totally paranoid about this happening ever since, even though the wheel stayed on fine even while I was descending...

musto_skiff

I somtimes worry the bars will roll forward due to the stem bolt not being tight enough so I start flexing them to check...

Mog Uk

BUICK wrote:

I'll suddenly 'see' a scenario like my seatpost snapping due to an unnoticed knock causing catastrophic failure, all myweight coming down and taking a tumble in front of a speeding car.

Sounds like a scene from 'Final Destination'

My biggest fear is chain snapping whilst it's under pressure. Happened to me many years ago during a club 10, out the saddle and sprinting, chain snapped, I came down on the top tube ( that brought tears to my eyes ) and then proceded to fall off and chip my knee cap on the kerb. Still makes me cringe to this day......

Eat My Dust

Sea_Green_Incorruptible wrote:

Yep. I always imaging the front wheel coming off.

Born of a time when I was about 15 on a cycling holiday with my mates. I bombed down a big hill in Devon with full panniers on, tent on the back - the works. Got to the bottom. Stopped. Lifted the front up and the wheel fell out :shock:. Turns out the quick release had come undone somehow (or I'd forgotten to do it up or something - mists of time now).

I have been totally paranoid about this happening ever since, even though the wheel stayed on fine even while I was descending...

LOL I had a similar incident. Racing my brother (both on BMX's) I bunny hopped up onto the kerb and the front wheels came off. Forks straight into the ground and me over the handlebars!! My brother didn't noticed and kept racing ahead!!!

cbj

Funnily enough , new to this road bike lark and I have the similar thoughts when hurtling down hill. I've had exactly the same thing happen with the front quick release with me in the past - didn't bother me at the time but has registered as a potential nightmare.

Coming from a MTB background , although I'd imagine the liklihood of injury is similar or greater , I don't tend to get the time on a MTB to contemplate 'what if?' as I'm always reacting to the trail but on a road bike doing silly speeds in a straight line I find myself thinking morbid thoughts about being spread across the tarmac with only lycra to cushion the fall and then maybe being crushed by traffic :shock: - ouch.

CrookedCucumber

cbj wrote:

Coming from a MTB background , although I'd imagine the liklihood of injury is similar or greater , I don't tend to get the time on a MTB to contemplate 'what if?' as I'm always reacting to the trail but on a road bike doing silly speeds in a straight line I find myself thinking morbid thoughts about being spread across the tarmac with only lycra to cushion the fall and then maybe being crushed by traffic :shock: - ouch.

To me, downhill mountain biking is _all about_ scary. I start being scared from the first pedal stroke, and don't stop being scared until I get to the bottom.

But, in an odd sort of way, I notice the fear more on roads, particularly in the circumstances you describe. I think it's a matter of expectation -- downhill mountain biking is (it seems to me) mentally challenging and exhilarating. Road cycling is (for me at least) relaxing (in an odd sort of way -- even when I'm pedalling really hard it doesn't require intense mental focus). So being afraid when cycling on the road somehow seems out of place.

The thing I fear most on the road is cars suddenly appearing out of hidden entrances at the bottoms of hills. This has happened to me on my motorcycle, earning me a nice ambulance ride. But on my motorcycle I wear kevlar body armour. On my bicycle, well...

Mog Uk

Eat My Dust wrote:

LOL I had a similar incident. Racing my brother (both on BMX's) I bunny hopped up onto the kerb and the front wheels came off.

Had a similar experience when we were younger. We undid the front wheel on a matesRaleigh Burner ( seemed like a good idea at the time, the first wheelie he popped the wheel shot off down the road, it was really quite funny up until the bit where he had to collect his front teeth off the road and go to hospital....

pneumatic

Twice last summer, once on a sharp descent during the Etape Caledonia and another time coming down the Ventoux, I found myself fishtailing horribly, sure I was going to wipe out and smash myself to pieces. On both occasions, by some unexplained miracle, I avoided the drop. Since then, my willingness to take risks has faded away completely . . . . and my brake blocks are pared down to nothing!

jed1978

yup,

near the end of my usual run there is a steep hill droppin to a very sharp corner.
At the far side of the corner is the sea.

not been able to avoid the brakes yet, but building up to it.

brucey72

I had crash two years ago. Was coming down a steep descent doing about 40mph when a fox ran out in front of me! I swerved to avoid it losing control and I don't remeber much after that. I ended up with a broken collar bone, broken wrist and two fewer teeth. I have been unable to get this out my head as there is nothing I could have done to prevent it. I now descend so slowly it's embarrasing. I had a tandem overtake me on last years cumberland challenge :oops:

CrookedCucumber

I think I am a very cautious cyclist, going by some of these tales. I rarely allow my speed to exceed 30mph, and on road where there is traffic I never really go much over 20mph. I just don't like broken bones. With little or no protective clothing, a crash at even 20mph can be quite nasty, particularly if it involves another vehicle.

Thinking about what I wrote early -- I suspect my downhill speeds off-road are much lower than this. But they feel much faster.

PostieJohn

I once had a 'shimmy' on my fav downhill.
It took me ages to get over it, as it felt like I was riding a rodeo bull at 38mph, and I sure as hell didn't want that to happen again.
But thanks to the good people here and Sheldon Browne I now have the confidence for that downhill to the point I clocked 40.5mph last week, for the 1st time.

cbj

brucey72 wrote:

I had crash two years ago. Was coming down a steep descent doing about 40mph when a fox ran out in front of me! I swerved to avoid it losing control and I don't remeber much after that. I ended up with a broken collar bone, broken wrist and two fewer teeth.oops:

ai caramba - ouch indeed

Don't think reading that will help to alleviate any fear issues

cee

pneumatic wrote:

fishtailing horribly, sure I was going to wipe out and smash myself to pieces.

Drifting a mountain bike is par for the course on most fast off-camber bends, but by fishtailing, I assume you mean snapping between left and right sided drifts?

I always felt (coming from a motorbike) that if the back wheel starts to slide, its best to relax, steer into it, and trust your rubber....generally, it comes back, but kinda happens too quickly to think about.

If the front wheel starts to wash out however......prepare to relax onto the floor

I'm not sure about how a road bike reacts differently in the drift, what with the skinnies and lack of standover height, but maybe practicing off road, trying to drift the bike out could help build confidence for when the big scary happens at 40 on a steep tarmac hill!

Mike Willcox

I have crashed three times on a descent. Once when my front tyre blew and smashed myself up badly with bruised ribs and lumps torn off and gashes while out training 3 years ago and last year in my first race of the year when going downhill my tribars dislodged and I went over the bars. Thirdly in 1976 I came off after losing control on wet road going downhill on a left hand bend and hit a car coming the other direction who fortunately had stopped by the time of the impact.

I don't like going dowhills very fast now so I'm only seeking flat TT routes to race on. Be afraid.

BUICK

SO it;s not just me then! Haha - rubbish. People talking about childhood reasons for fears reminded me about a couple of spills I had that, thinking about it, are still probably affecting how fast I can take corners (not as fast as I'd like). The 'final destination' comment made me laugh. Nervously :oops:

whyamihere

Mine's quite odd, I once had a pair of V-brakes fail when the pad moved under the rim, leaving me with no braking. As a result, I'm always a bit wary of my brakes failing when I lightly apply them (it couldn't move when applied hard anyway, in my head). This keeps me off the brakes, which is nice.

Anonymous

Ever since I got like 7 punctures in the space of 2 days I have been paranoid about my back wheel going down, always looking at it, worried I'll be far from home and it'll go down and I'll be on my home and I'm useless at getting the tyres off

webbhost

My bike does not worry me when decending quickly, however what "does" concern me (being in the area im in), is a car overtaking me whilst im decending, then stopping in front of me because he cant get past the parked cars. I've had a few really close incidents where I managed to stop the bike about 10CM from the back of the car. Of course I shout out and call em an INCONSIDERATE LITTLE WA..COUGH! oops... guess i couldnt get the words out on here.

There is 1 other thing that scares me, not so much with the hill with the stopping cars (34 MPH Max on that hill), but another one where I have reached speeds of upto 38 MPH, Theres always that thought "WHAT IF..... someones left a brick in the road, or what if someones exhaust or wheel cover...

Yes its a straight road, however you need to notice it quickly enough to be able to avoid it.

Now I have never considered what would happen if a fox ran in front of me... and hopefully I'll never need to consider whats going to happen!.

Red Rock

When I got my first road bike late last year I decided to try it out down Parbold Hill. As I hurtled down the hill I decided that I needed to be in a better position for braking so tried moving to the drops... big wobble at 30+ MPH then grabbed to much brake, back wheel came of the ground and I nearly went over the front wheel... nearly messed myself! Followed that by almost running into the back of the car in front of me :oops:

I can't believe how scary braking is on a road bike compared to an MTB. Fear, oh yes.

Red Rock

Mettan

I tend to take it steady on Descents, although, where road surface and conditions allow I will go up to around 35-38 mph at most (on local hills/roads) - it all depends on the hill, road surface, time of the day (at 5.30 in the morning its virtually traffic free) and conditions. I wouldn't do those kind of speeds at 12.30 midday with a vastly increased risk of vehicles pulling out of side streets etc etc.

bobpzero

i usually get "the fear" the night before, thinking too much, but once im out on the ride the fear leaves me. usually i get "the rage" some woman driver (sorry to all woman drivers) cut me up, passed me just coming to a junction, im so angry i follow almost get hit by a driver coming the other way (stoopid me..) .its so much different down south in the republic of ireland (out on the country roads), they are like seriously nice givin good space. My only main fear is coming to road junction where i know theres gravel and end up going sideways falling over.

richardjallen

Had two accidents as a kid.

The first on my Tomahawk when I bunny hopped off a curb, somehow went over the handle bars, hit my head on the road and gashed my forehead just above the eyebrow. Still got the scar.

The Second was on my Grifter which I hated so much due to its unreasonable weight. I got so fed up with it one day that I kicked the front wheel (while riding) and got my foot stuck in the spokes. My foot went round with the wheel until it jammed against the fork, bring the bike to a halt while I went over the bars. Then the bike flipped over and clonked me on the back of the head. I hated it even more after that but refrained from beating it up.

SteveR_100Milers

Every time I descend at any speed, I immediately think about the front (carbon) forks snapping, and try to imagine what shape my skull and teeth would be if it happened. The other fear I have is of being hit from behind - I don't really trust any other road user at all.

brucey72

richardjallen wrote:

The Second was on my Grifter which I hated so much due to its unreasonable weight. I got so fed up with it one day that I kicked the front wheel (while riding) and got my foot stuck in the spokes. My foot went round with the wheel until it jammed against the fork, bring the bike to a halt while I went over the bars. Then the bike flipped over and clonked me on the back of the head. I hated it even more after that but refrained from beating it up.

Ha ha the joys of the Grifter. I had one whilst everyone else had BMX's during the 80's. I was gutted and tried my damnest to wreck it so my parents would buy me a "raleigh ultra burner" but the thing was near indestructible. I used to send it off down hills on its own after bailing off the back of it but it probaly did more damage to the walls it hit.

Sorry this post isn't a "fear" one but it just made me laugh thinking back to my old bike

NWLondoner

The only worry i really have is if any ao my carbon parts have a spectacular failure :shock:

I am really finding my confidence now and am taking bends and corners much faster than i used to. Just looking out for pot holes in time that is the real pain in the ass. Had a few near misses today riding down the Harrow Road

pjh

Hey don't worry too much guys ... my philosophy (born out by the odd accident or two over the years) is that you ain't got time to think about it generally If you tense up you're more likely to come a cropper .... best to relax and trust the bike and the rubber if you can.

It's way worse to lose the front wheel though ... instant face plant on the tarmac not even time to blink .... rear wheel slide usually gives you time to react a little.

Speaking of injuries .... does anyone have any tips for improving a thumb injury? I fell off about 10 weeks ago now (broke my thumb) ... flippin thing still hurts all this time later ... grateful for any tips on best way to get it better.

synchronicity

Purposely went out hunting for steep streets yesterday. Yeah, I got the fear alright - for the 1st time in ages descending that... :shock:

feel

I got the fear today and nearly a brown stain to go with it. Coming down a short hill on a country lane a car started to reverse out of a drive on to the lane. Fortunately there was nothing coming the other way and could swerve around it as there was no way i could have stopped.