Your First Three Years ~ Part 14:

Dealing with Fear

A Guide for Beginner (and Experienced!) Cyclists, to the Art and Practice of Cycling.  Becoming Proficient, Fit, and Happy on your bike.

Fear is a part of our makeup.  There are all kinds of things that we fear.  Some fears are rational, such as the fear of falling off of the roof while cleaning the gutters.  Other fears are irrational, such as the dread of the monster that hides under the bed.  In both cases there are tactics for comprehending fear, dealing with it, and removing it.

Cyclists face fear.  I’m not talking about the fear of falling over on the bicycle.  Presumably, if you have read this far, you’ve managed to get past that one.  But there are other fears. 

We can break things down into two categories.  There is the anxiety kind of thing.  We’re afraid we won’t be able to perform well, or that we’ll disappoint someone, or ourselves.  We’re afraid that someone will think we look strange, or that our riding will somehow be seen as frivolous.  There’s the “what if” variety of anxiety fear too.  “What if I have a flat?”  “What if the chain falls off?”  “What if I get lost?”

These anxiety fears can be dealt with.  First off, the center of anxiety related fears rarely materializes.  Second, with just a bit of easily attained training or preparation, anxieties can be resolved.  We can learn to repair a flat, deal with a derailed chain, bring a map or a GPS.  We can anticipate and take appropriate actions to prevent or minimize the situation we worry about.

But then there is the other kind of fear.  We’re talking about the 100 proof bottled in bond, FEAR now.  The kind that makes the pit of your stomach feeze, that puts that awful copper taste in your mouth.  The kind of fear that grabs you by the throat, glares into your eyes, and yells into your face  “I OWN YOU!!!”

What are we to make of this, and how do we deal with it?

It’s no secret that I often ride in traffic.  Sometimes it’s pretty heavy traffic.  On fairly frequent occasions I get asked,  “Aren’t you afraid?  There are so many really really bad, crazy drivers out there.”  I usually reply that no, I’m not often afraid.  I know what I’m doing,  I’m very conscious of my environment.  I ride assertively but not aggressively.  I look for the signs of drivers who are not well controlled.  I ride to always give myself an “out.”  Mostly I’m too busy to be afraid.

At that point in the conversation, I seem to get the facial expression that says,  “You are insane!”    Might I add, the very question, the one that asks,  “Aren’t you afraid?” says more about the questioner than it does about the situation.

But that said, it is rational to fear a close altercation with a motor vehicle.  The difference between a rational fear and panic is information, practice, and gradual acquisition of skills.  Learning to ride in traffic, and to do so well and safely removes a lot of the fear.

It starts with an admission of reality.  There is no such thing as an accident.  There are collisions and crashes.  But these things don’t “just happen.”  They are caused, and it usually takes the participation of more than one individual.

Safety does not come from armor.  It comes form avoidance.  Want a good statistical example?

Intuitively one should be safer (and therefore less fearful) whilst riding in, or driving an SUV.  Riding a bike should be dangerous.  But if one compares injuries and fatalities on a passenger miles traveled basis it become apparent that an SUV occupant is seven time more likely to be killed or injured than is a cylist.

It is healthy to consider the possible consequences.  But it is not healthy to harbor a morbid fear of them.  Just like the anxiety cases we mentioned above, training, preparation, gradual exposure in a controlled fashion, and good practice remove most of the causes of the “Big Fear.”

I’d be remiss if I didn’t mention where that kind of training could be had.

The Atlanta Bicycle Campaign sponsors and teaches classes in safe practical vehicular cycling.  For more information see This Site

Or pick up a copy of John Forester’s Effective Cycling .  Read it and see if this doesn’t make a lot of sense.

Ultimately knowledge is power, and knowledge removes fear.

                        

Next Week: Goals?  Next Season Starts NOW

~//~

This series began with the post on Tuesday, 19 June 2012.  It is intended to continue for three years.  Each week, we will discuss exercises, skills, practices, and activities designed to bring the new (or “experienced”) rider a high level of cycling competence.  We’ll address common problems, and (always) stress safe practice.

~//~

A Note on Timing:  This series uses Mid-June as the starting point of the “Cyclists Year.”  We do this because this is the time that most folks decide to start riding.  If you are following this guide, you can “adjust” the timing to fit your personal “first three years.”  Do note that some of the posts will concern weather and seasonal changes.  When that starts to happen, just swap the “months” around to fit your personal timeline.