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benelchi -> RE: Bicycling....adventures, experiences, favorite rides etc (11/3/2007 6:58:41 PM)
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quote:
ORIGINAL: 42servehymn
I am fully recovered physically but the fear has not left and I am not riding nearly as much as I was. When I ride now it is purely leisurely and I really enjoyed the challenge of setting new goals and achieving them. I also started a new job and I have to wear nice clothes so riding to work isn't an option any more.
I recognize the issue of "fear" that can often follow a crash. The best way to overcome the fear is to take some time to evaluate the circumstances of the crash, and make adjustments for those things that that may have contributed to the crash i.e. "Could I have stopped shorter?", "Could I have turned sharper?", "Should I have been more aware of my surroundings?", "would a better sprint have got me out of the way?", "If I had better balance could I have remained upright?". Please note that none of this is to say that you were to blame in any way, it more a call to reflect on how the crash might have been avoided in spite of someone else's failure. As a cycling coach I often will focus people on learning the skills after a crash that may have been able to prevent the original crash, or have them practice those skills again if we had already worked on them. I do this because when people have the confidence that they know how to avoid a crash given the same circumstances in the future, they tend to be much less fearful, and overcoming the "fear" is really important because most crashes (in bike racing) that I have witnessed are cause by an over reaction because of fear.
One example of what I mean:
Often a crash may have been avoided if we could have only stopped a little bit quicker. A common mistake that armature cyclists often make when braking is that they often "fear" using the front brake at all, but professional cyclists primarily use their front brakes. Learning to use the front brake as the primary brake will cut stopping distances in half, and the dreaded fear of going head first over the handle bars is alleviated because if you use the front brake all the time you will know how much it can be applied intuitively, and safety is improved by correcting this bad habit. For the more advanced, there is a way to really stop a bike on a dime (almost). What is required is to thrust your body as far back over the back wheel as possible, when applying the break. Your seat will be nearly touching your chest if you do it right. This weight shift allows you to apply the brakes about twice as hard without flying over the handlebars, but this is not a maneuver that can be done safely without practice; however, with practice this maneuver can be a real life savor, and the time invested in learning can pay very big rewards. For those who ride with cleats, the hardest part of this maneuver is releasing your feet from the peddles after the bike comes to a complete stop (be prepared!)
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