How did you overcome your fear of riding? | Page 4 | GTAMotorcycle.com

How did you overcome your fear of riding?

motorchick said:
Not too long ago I gotten into a bit of a wipe out. Was okay, except for some bruises and especially a "bruised ego". Recently, I've been encountering some fear of riding roaming around in my mind and some anxiety too. We've been blessed with some beautiful weather and I find myself being reluctant to ride. Is it just me, or has anyone else been through this as well? If so, what did you do to overcome it?

Thanking in advance for your support.
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MotorChick - My advice is you need to take a private lesson on your own bike. You mentioned the cause of your accident was a tire lock up - However- you clearly "grabbed" a brake - which IS the cause of the accident. Tires don't just lock up on their own. So why did you do this??? A large majority of motorcycle accidents occur as a single vehicle in a corner. Clearly you missed some important info. You were not looking at your exit and you didn't approach the corner properly in the first place.
Advice given that you should just "ride it out"- although very enthusiastic - is really not helpful. You would only continue to ride in the same manner - and THAT is a problem!! What you can get out of an hour of a private lesson - with an expert - is powerful! Every year you should be doing something for your rider education. Its an hour!! Riding is a serious skill - which takes practice - and practice using the correct skills and techniques.
 
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motorchick said:
Hedo2002, whether it's "apprehension" or "fear" base, I have it. I guess it stems from my line of work in personal injury. I've dealt with all sorts of accidents and it makes one think how precious life is. I love to ride but I need to develop confidence especially with having a fairly new bike and being somewhat a newby. In actuality, I was an overly cautious driver when I obtained my G license as a teen and now I've developed so much skills and confidence over the years that I've been truly blessed to have avoided accidents. Back then I wasn't sure if I would have gotten over my nerves but I did and proud of it. I guess my problem is my lack of control of the situation and without that control I'm afraid to make a mistake. My biggest fear is hurting someone else. I was lucky to have not caused any damages and avoided coming into contact with another human being. Although I got into an accident, I was truly blessed to walk away alive with no casualty. Gaining support from this forum has humbled me and encouraged me to take a chance to learn and grow with my riding spirit. Once the weather warms up some more and the roads get cleaned up from the debris, I will attempt to ride again! Slowly and surely...

Practise = improvements as opposed to No Practise = quitting.


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Don't do any group rides yet. Find yourself a riding partner that you're comfortable with and will take it easy. Riding with someone else who is patient and have a little more experience will benefit you greatly, you'll always have someone with you and that will make you feel safer. He/she can also point out things you are doing right and wrong which will help a lot too.
 
Broke my pelvis and my back on the 410 in October . Have 500 km on my new bike since then .. Just get out and ride .. Use it as a learning experience .. Don't let it define your riding but use it as a tool for your riding
 
mr.walczak said:
Broke my pelvis and my back on the 410 in October . Have 500 km on my new bike since then .. Just get out and ride .. Use it as a learning experience .. Don't let it define your riding but use it as a tool for your riding
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What did you replace the broken Duke with?
 
Thx Joe! I like that choice.
 
I been in your position.. Everyone is different and in time you will lose fear. If you dont.. Don't push yourself. Riding should be enjoyable..

If you are a an older mature rider a good wipe out in the early stages of your career can be a good thing.. Or if you are a young mature rider too I suppose

You can look at things in a real perspective and see that riding is not a joke.. You practice things you learn... you reflect and appreciate... My point is gain something from the crash..

On the flip side if you are ignorant and immature you gain nothing from it.

So try to get positive things out of the negative.. This will give you more confidence and lesser fear


"If i was educated, I'd be a damn fool"
 
Motorsoul has the best advice, figure out what was the cause and correct that.

Practice DOES NOT make perfect, perfect practice does though. Practicing bad habits will only make you repeat your mistakes.
 
Joe Bass said:
Hope you don't mind, Mr.Walczak
http://www.gtamotorcycle.com/vbforum/showthread.php?p=2280855
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No problemo!, Saved me from doing it haha .. Loved the duke when it ran properly lol. .But damn did it come with baggage..... Quite the learning curve going to SS from an upright but I'm enjoying it for sure...

OP if you got any question or wanna chat shoot me a PM ... There's a difference between a freak accident and a riding error .. Losing trust in your bike sucks! keep riding progressively gaining trust in it again
 
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I finally finished my course, test, and picked up a CBR250 today. I guess I am now officially a rider. But I am feeling really uneasy on the bike. I am not sure what else to say. The 125s in riding school seemed much easier to ride, but everyone says that 250s are excellent beginner bikes. I'm beginning to wonder if I've made the wrong choice of bike for my first bike.

Perhaps it was just that I've only ridden it so far in a closed parking lot with a lot of boundaries and obstacles? Maybe when I have more space and a helmet, I'll feel a little more in control?

I really wish I didn't have this feeling and I'm chalking it up to still being brand new, I hope it goes away or it will cause me to have a fall or get in an accident. :(

luckily i'll be able to get it home going thru some quiet streets in rosedale, I thought I'd have to use Yonge but that would just be too crazy for me right now.

is this a normal feeling in your first days or should I consider trading the bike in for a 125?
 
Give it time, in a week or two it'll feel like your bike.

Do you have any rider friends? Go for a long, lazy easy ride this weekend. Brand new bike and parking lot issues like you said probably have you tensed up beyond belief.

Relax. We are all basketcases on new vehicle day. Esp to a novice rider.
 
Find the times of day in your neighbourhood that are least populated and practice the basics. Sometimes this means early mornings on weekends, or even late evenings and night during the week. Practice your shifting, braking and turning. Practice pulling away from a stop and smoothly using your clutch, throttle and brakes. Keep your eyes up and look around you often.

That is a great bike you have as a first bike. As mentioned, get some rider friends in your neck of the woods that you can go on easy rides with. There might even be a novice group or a downtown group in the Rides/Hookups sub-forum. Riding around in Rosedale along the quiet residential areas is a great place to get started. Once you get more comfortable, start going up and down Mt Pleasant and Bayview during light traffic times.

By the way - congrats on the course and bike!
 
new to you bikes always feel a bit weird. Every spring my bike feels weird for the first little bit. And I've had it a lot of years.
 
Riceburner said:
new to you bikes always feel a bit weird. Every spring my bike feels weird for the first little bit. And I've had it a lot of years.
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I'm actually always surprised how quickly mine feels normal again but I don't really ride that hard to begin with and this tiny thing is so easy to ride.
 
Mark2K, congrats on the bike purchase!
When I was taking the course, I thought about quitting, because I felt like I was doing everything wrong. I stuck with it, and as the course went on, I built up my confidence. A few weeks later, I bought my bike. I was nervous riding it home. But then, it just felt right. Be cautious, but be confident. You will be fine. If you can make your way to Vaughan, I'd gladly go for a leisurely ride with you.
 
Everyone's response has made me feel so much better already. I'm now looking forward to bringing her home. :) I think my main fear right now is picking up speed. I was actually surprised that in the course, some of the tests are timed. I guess going slower than regular traffic isn't an option in real life:)

thank you everyone, and for the well wishes on the bike, it certainly has been a big day here.
 
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It is normal, give it time, getting out of the city for a long ride where there isn't congestion will help you. The problem right now is that you are focusing on things that are close to you while riding, once you get out there on a long straight road and you start looking far ahead and not immediately in front of you the feeling will change and you will start to enjoy.
marktwothousand said:
I finally finished my course, test, and picked up a CBR250 today. I guess I am now officially a rider. But I am feeling really uneasy on the bike. I am not sure what else to say. The 125s in riding school seemed much easier to ride, but everyone says that 250s are excellent beginner bikes. I'm beginning to wonder if I've made the wrong choice of bike for my first bike.

Perhaps it was just that I've only ridden it so far in a closed parking lot with a lot of boundaries and obstacles? Maybe when I have more space and a helmet, I'll feel a little more in control?

I really wish I didn't have this feeling and I'm chalking it up to still being brand new, I hope it goes away or it will cause me to have a fall or get in an accident. :(

luckily i'll be able to get it home going thru some quiet streets in rosedale, I thought I'd have to use Yonge but that would just be too crazy for me right now.

is this a normal feeling in your first days or should I consider trading the bike in for a 125?
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