I've lost my commuting confidence!

Nifer

I started cycling my short journey to work in central Bristol earlier this year on a mountain bike, but recently purchased a snazzy second hand road bike for commuting and weekend rides. Shortly after I bought it I started a 3 week break from cycling to work (unfortunately) due to carrying a heavy load and working elsewhere. So really I haven't got used to my new bike yet.

I had my first ride today and all of a sudden it's dark and wet and I was petrified! I even changed my route and got off to walk in order to avoid a busy roundabout at one point.

What can I do? :oops:

Just have a large glass of MTFU?

deptfordmarmoset

Nifer wrote:

I started cycling my short journey to work in central Bristol earlier this year on a mountain bike, but recently purchased a snazzy second hand road bike for commuting and weekend rides. Shortly after I bought it I started a 3 week break from cycling to work (unfortunately) due to carrying a heavy load and working elsewhere. So really I haven't got used to my new bike yet.

I had my first ride today and all of a sudden it's dark and wet and I was petrified! I even changed my route and got off to walk in order to avoid a busy roundabout at one point.

What can I do? :oops:

Just have a large glass of MTFU?

I've got spooked a few times and done the same. In my case, the confidence has come back. But if you're frightening yourself you're not going to enjoy it - take it easier, give yourself more time, even consider back roads and alternative routes until it gets easier again.

And, while I'm fine with most London roads, I will still sometimes stop before a difficult or hectic roundabout that I don't know and get a feel for how the traffic flows before crossing it. I don't fee any shame in doing that - I just think of it as route planning.

nich

You can always cycle in on your MTB (assuming you still have it!), and save the road bike dry sunny days.

My road bike certainly feels more twitchy in the wet and it puts me on edge to be honest. Disc brakes help, but a chunky MTB would be even better.

jonginge

^ What DM said.

Get your confidence back on the new bike at the weekend. Make sure you can convince yourself that your lights and clothing will allow you to be seen on the nighttime commutes.

Good luck

EKE_38BPM

Yeah, road bikes are much twitchier in the wet than mountain bikes, so I suggest you ride the MTB until you get your confidence back.

Different bikes for different conditions makes perfect sense to me.
Good lights and clothing are a must too.

Good luck on whatever steed you choose to ride.

itboffin

EKE_38BPM wrote:

Yeah, road bikes are much twitchier in the wet than mountain bikes, so I suggest you ride the MTB until you get your confidence back.

Different bikes for different conditions makes perfect sense to me.
Good lights and clothing are a must too.

Good luck on whatever steed you choose to ride.

All I heard was you need a different bike for each day and condition, thanks

wiggggglllleeeee

redvee

What be you're route in Brizzle?. Might be worth investigasting an alternative till your mojo catches up with you.

Cafewanda

JonGinge wrote:

^ What DM said

+1

unixnerd

Saddle height can play a big part in this. Generally speaking it's easier to put a foot down on a mtb than a road bike due to the riding position. And if you can get a foot down easily it boosts your confidence. Maybe go back to the mtb or try lowering the saddle for a bit.

Be sure folk can see you too, good lights and reflective strips.

Hot Orange

Apart from when I was sparing my p*ncture-prone tyres from country-road debris, I always travel the back roads to avoid, as much as possible, big roundabouts and busier roads. It's just a more pleasant ride - and it gives me an extra few miles each way.

sc999cs

Nifer wrote:

I had my first ride today and all of a sudden it's dark and wet and I was petrified! I even changed my route and got off to walk in order to avoid a busy roundabout at one point.

Nothing to be ashamed off here. If you ever feel that any junction is too dangerous / exceeds your ability then do what you did, get off and walk. Bikes are one of the very few forms of vehicle where you can convert into being a pedestrian. Take advantage of that fact, especially is it is a choice between putting yourself at risk or taking a few minutes longer to get home.

Nifer

What great advice from you all - and some of the more logical stuff just wouldn't have occurred to me! Thanks.

It's only a short trip from the Centre to Totterdown, but I hadn't considered just taking a longer, quieter route - I'll look into this. It's hard to find quiet roads in central Brizzle, mind!

I have still got my MTB (though my husband is trying to make me sell it - we have 4 bikes between us ) - this may be a reasonable alternative for my winter commuting, I just need to "admit defeat" temporarily with the road bike.

PBo

Nifer wrote:

What great advice from you all - and some of the more logical stuff just wouldn't have occurred to me! Thanks.

It's only a short trip from the Centre to Totterdown, but I hadn't considered just taking a longer, quieter route - I'll look into this. It's hard to find quiet roads in central Brizzle, mind!

I have still got my MTB (though my husband is trying to make me sell it - we have 4 bikes between us ) - this may be a reasonable alternative for my winter commuting, I just need to "admit defeat" temporarily with the road bike.

What?

You've only got 4 bikes between you, and he's trying to make you sell one?

LYNCH HIM!!!!!!!

Anyway, I'm not sure that this advice isn't basically saying M(W?)TFU, but here's a bit of amateur pshycology.

Confidence makes a massive difference to cycling. The more worried you are, the more you hug the gutter, the more uncertain your manouvres, the slower your decisions etc.

So, do everything you can to remove any doubts:
1) Lights, reflectives etc. - feel like you will be seen
2) brakes - fettle them so you are confident you can and will stop
3) route planning - know exactly where you are going, so you can always be ahead of the game when it comes to lane changes, filtering, right turns etc. Scout it out by bike - or car, but preferably bike. Do Brizzle produce a cyclist map showing cycle lanes/recommended routes etc?
4) no shame in walking across busy junctions etc. Do it with confidence that you have chosen this is the way you will deal with it for the moment, not with the shame of being forced into it.
5) If you can, reduce the steepest hills on your route at first. Mashing up a steep hill, chewing the handle bars at 1 mph is not conducive to cycling confidently, in a straight line, or paying attention to what's going on around you.
6) eye contact. Can't over state it. You should always be glancing behind anyway, but in conjunction with number 3) know your route so you can plan your manouvres - look behind in loads of time and make eye contact when you can, then signal - check with the eye contact again they've seen you. I always find this works really well. maybe the eye contact humanises/personalises you. You will far more often than not get the car to slow right down to let you in front of/across them.

Good luck!

Cafewanda

Nifer wrote:

I have still got my MTB (though my husband is trying to make me sell it - we have 4 bikes between us )

Grounds for divorce for unreasonable behaviour :shock:

4 between 2 is not an awful lot, in my modest opinion. If 3 are yours then he should be willing to catchup. The formula is N+1 not N minus whateverthenumberis

Lancslad

Pfft you have 4 bikes between you and he wants you to sell one of yours leaving him with TWO and You with one! Surely you dont let him wear the trousers? I thought it was a myth that blokes were in charge. :shock:

Goodluck finding the mojo again

Clever Pun

you could try riding the mtb to get used to riding in the dark and once you're comfy with the route etc ride the roadbike in (when it's dry)

should ease you in

redvee

You could find a quieter route but it would no doubt add many more miles to the journey home.

benno68

I agree that you should ride the bike that you feel safer on, ie. the MTB for the time being.

Give yourself a bit of extra time to get in so that you don't feel under pressure to put the hammer down.

Also, make sure you are highly visible, especially at night, with suitable bright clothing and lights.

No shame in getting off to cross a busy junction.

benno68

I agree that you should ride the bike that you feel safer on, ie. the MTB for the time being.

Give yourself a bit of extra time to get in so that you don't feel under pressure to put the hammer down.

Also, make sure you are highly visible, especially at night, with suitable bright clothing and lights.

No shame in getting off to cross a busy junction.

biondino

I've also lost confidence lately after quite a nasty crash (and a minor prang two days earlier) and I haven't had a happy, carefree ride in the last three weeks as a result. This was exacerbated by the frame failing on my fixie (I must have bent the tube in the minor prang) and making me worry about the frame on my roadie, which I was riding in the bigger crash. So this morning before setting out, I took the bars off my roadie and gave the steerer a good look over, and tightened up the headset to reduce the play that was concerning me, and I found that this one act alone made me far happier on the ride into work.

I'm still overly concerned about cars, peds and bikes suddenly appearing in front of me (both accidents were me running into the back of cars), but then perhaps I was underconcerned before.

Good luck, in any case, and don't give up!

EKE_38BPM

After about 8 years of being a regular roadie I had a crash whilst commuting. I was filtering up the inside of stationary traffic and a passenger opened the car door without looking. I hit the door, did a forward somersault onto the pavement and apart from a few scratches and bruises I was OK. She admitted liability, I swapped details with the driver and I carried on to work.
On the way home (on the same day) I got left hooked by some bimbo who didn't stop. None of the many witnesses around got her licence plate as they all rushed to see if I was OK (I was), but that made two crashes in one day.

Because of the first crash I took my bike to my LBS for a check up and service and when I got it back it felt like a new bike again. I rode to work on the Monday with a big smile on my face and only a little more cautiously than normal.
The next day I had a BIG accident. Left hooked by some dopey bint who I know for a fact saw me and still turned across me. I hit just behind her front wheel arch, was thrown across her bonnet, did a forward somersault and landed on the road in front of her car. My back really hurt (I landed on my back) and I wiggled my toes to reassure myself that I could still feel my legs.

So three accidents in three days!!

That was over three years ago and I still have pain from the whiplash the last accident caused and have to do almost daily exercises in order to reduce the pain I feel, but I now ride more than ever.

The accidents haven't seemed to affect my confidence on my bike, but I think my observation has improved.

Maybe I'm just too dumb to be scared!

Jay dubbleU

I've actually stopped using a cross bike for the commute and gone back to a hybrid - given road conditions its almost as fast more comfortable and I enjoy the ride more - big plus is that I can now used panniers instead of lugging everything on my back - commuting should be enjoyable - work out the route that suites you even if it isn't the shortest and use a bike that you enjoy riding