Originally Posted by
rsbob
Not to psyche you out, but hitting the deck at anything above 30 MPH can lead to a less than desirable outcome. The key is to ride with the same mindset at 40 as 30 or 20. If you are sure in your bike handling skills, and incrementally bump up your top speed by a MPH or two at a time, it will become the norm and you won’t give it another thought. I bet you don’t think about getting killed in a motor vehicle every time you drive at highway speeds or even 50 MPH.
As you can see from the responses above, people can and do master fear. It is possible and is just shutting down defeating self-talk, and instead saying “I got this”.
I have to confess though, that any speed for me over 50 MPH does make me uneasy these days but I never tell myself crashing will be bad, instead it’s focus, read the curves, pick the best line and look way ahead.
20-ish years ago, sitting on my top tube, going 60mph in Death Valley, I was thinking “if something goes wrong, I could die”. Part of that was knowing that help was a long way away, and it might be a while before I was even seen. I put all my faith in my skills and my bike, and succumbed to my competitive drive.
These days, 40mph makes me uncomfortable. Knowing that my reflexes and vision aren’t as good as they used to be is a factor. Being off my bike for 15 years is also a factor. I’m totally okay with not pushing the limits of tire traction and my skills.