Originally Posted by
slowloris
I just started biking again as an adult and I love it but I *suck* at it still.
First time out on the new bike, and I was doing great - till I had to go home because I realized I'd somehow cut myself pretty bad on one of my pedals ffs. And I didn't fall or anything, I have no idea how I did that. Then I realized I'd cut the other ankle on the other pedal too, so now I"m the Fred in the kneesocks biking around town until I get less bad at this.
Third time out, I dropped my chain spectacularly enough I had to take it back to my LBS.
I'm scared of going downhill - like, enough that I have been known to get off the bike and walk it. I'm also working on not riding the brakes when I get scared downhill, I know I'm doing it and I remind myself to stop it but I still have to remind myself.
I bought a Road ID because I'm scared that I'll end up in the hospital just from doing something dumb not even involving a car, like hitting a pothole wrong and waking up on the tarmac with broken bones.
And yet? Perversely I still love this and I'm already totally scoping around for my second bike.
Bravery can be defined as being ascared[sic] of something...and doing it anyway!
And there's a difference between being scared vs. being prudent about a present danger.
I decided to take a detour once on a gravel/mix-of-everything-else backroad near my house once. There is a really steep descent, with loose gravel/broken pavement; and the road is just wide enough for one car and has a creek crossing and a curve at the bottom of the hill. My choice was: Ride down it, and probably wipe out if car came the other way, because I'd be going fast, and it'd be impossible to stop on the loose surface....try and ride my brakes down (Scary- the hill is so steep, that once I'd even get a little momentum, just trying to slow down on the loose surface would be as treacherous as trying to stop)....or walk it down. I walked it!
People who have no fear or prudence, are called "mountain bikers". I'm not one.