nicole999

Hello! I'm 20 years old female, just finished up my semester at NYU, and have been planning a charity bike tour for the past 8 months. Me and 2 others are riding this summer up the east coast (NC to New York) I've biked for a few years, but never done a tour longer than a couple days. I've trained well in advance, so I am physically ready to go (not too vigorous of a ride either, about 50 miles or so a day... if that) Anyways... as the departure date is approaching, I'm finding myself getting more and more nervous, which I don't understand! I've never been nervous about biking before, and I've found myself in some pretty strange locations on my bike and just continued on without a second thought. Maybe its the change of location, or... I don't know? But I find myself so worried that I can't concentrate on anything and I don't leave for another month!! I'm using routes from Adventure Cycling Association (has anyone done the atlantic coast, are they good?)
Am I being completely irrational? Can anyone calm my fears?
thanks

njkayaker

Normal pre-trip jitters. It's a fairly big and novel (for you) undertaking but remember that you eat the elephant one bite at a time! That is, remind yourself that it's just a bunch of simple/easy rides strung together!

You'll probably become more relaxed after the first day or so (it won't be so novel then).

maddyfish

As long as you don't try to go to far per day, you will likely be ok. Are you planning on camping out or staying at hotel during the overnights?

Brian Sorrell

I found that a way to calm my own apprehensions is to do some solo, one day tours to places you wouldn't ordinarily go. For example, I might ride to a friend's house 50 miles away and choose a challenging route. That way I'm never more than 25 miles from someone I know, but I'm still doing something that pushes the edge of my comfort zone. (The first time I did this was 52 miles, fixed gear, with roughly the first 17 miles uphill. It was brutal, but now I know I can do that. The second time I did this was again fixed gear, 62 miles mostly along Route 66 to Pasadena --- much more forgiving roads but I threw in tons of climbing and heavy traffic. Now I know I can do that too.)

Doing solo trips is helpful, I think, because when you do similar trips with a small group, you'll already know that you're capable of doing this on your own. But you'll have buddies on the spot to help out in a pinch. And you'll have the experience of having to work things out on your own. I also find that my apprehensions virtually vanish once I'm on the bike for a while.

nicole999

In response to Maddyfish: We are camping. We have been sponsored by a local bike/outdoors equipment store, given all light weight bike tent, sleeping bag, matresses, etc etc.

In response to Brian: Thanks for the tip. I have done a couple of those, just taken off and gone somewhere, having no idea where I was going to end up. Lots of fun, but accidently ended up on a huge highway (haha, whoops!) This is the reason why I'm confused of my nerves popping up now because I've never really had them before. I think I'm getting mainly scared because I've never done the east coast before (went to NYU, but didn't venture much furture than that) and I'm honestly really scared of getting hit by a car! I googled statistics on it, and it was saying how driving in a car is actually MORE dangerous, but that didn't ease my nerves, it just made me scared of driving haha. Thanks for the comments though guys, any more would be appreciated

sanitycheck

Nicole --

I also get the jitters before a long unfamiliar ride...as I'm packing and inspecting the bike the night before the ride, it actually feels like vertigo. It reminds me of when I would step into a roller coaster as a kid, knowing that this was the point of no return and I was committing to whatever crazyness the ride would bring.

As soon as I start to ride, everything feels normal again. I think my brain always imagines having to conquer the whole ride in a single moment; once it turns out that the ride is unfolding one meter at a time, like any other ride, the fear vanishes.

Actually, I've come to kind of welcome the pre-ride jitters. They help mark a long ride as a special occasion, rather than just "spending the next couple weeks doing something that I do every day already, only for more hours per day."

If the apprehension is making it hard for you to concentrate on other things, you'll probably want to spend some time thinking things through logically so your brain will calm down a bit, and maybe read a bit about specific stretches of road along your route, to make them seem more familiar (www.crazyguyonabike.com is a great place for touring stories, usually with beautiful pictures!) But don't be embarrassed by the nervousness, and don't take it as a bad omen. It's just the sensation that your world is about to expand, which is never an entirely comfortable thing.

Have fun out there!

Kotts

Are you sure you aren't confusing excitement with nervousness? I get a bit "wired" before trips, just because I want to get going already!

oldranger

You are facing unknowns, and it is perfectly rational to be concerned. ACA routes are generally good, but thet are not perfect. Lots of people throw in variations. I would suggest checking out mapquest views of your route, especially the aerial photos, to gain some familiarity with the terrain and the routes.

I am 72 hours away from beginning my summer tour, and I have concerns too, including tangling with an auto. That can happen aany time you get on your bike. Just be alert, careful, and enjoy your ride!

sggoodri

A lot of people posting here each ride over 1000 miles a year in one or more of the states you'll be passing through, without incident. I ride for enjoyment and commuting in the capitol area of NC and have done some two-day tours in eastern NC. It's a great place to ride; I wish I had more time to.

You probably are hearing some worrying from some of your non-cyclist or off-road-cycling friends. Don't listen to them; they really don't know anything about road cycling safety. Follow the rules of the road and use good front and rear lights if you'll be making any utility trips after dark. Plan on fixing flats and have contingency plans for bigger mechanical problems and bad weather. You'll be fine.

I think a lot of us on this board envy you. Have fun!

TempeRider

+1

I did the ACA pacific coast route. They do try to avoid dangerous/questionable routes, so you should be fine. My only objection was one road they picked to avoid a highway (wide with good shoulders, but not scenic). It had little traffic for a reason - 10% grades!!! I was carving switchbacks back and forth on the road to keep upright! Otherwise their route was great.

If you are worried about traffic seeing you, make sure you each have an orange safety triangle attached to your rear panniers - not critical, but it adds a bit of visibility. ACA sells them in cloth/reflective fabric.

bikegeek57

since you will be with 2 other friends you are NOT alone. you will have a great time. pre-ride jitters are normal. fact I'd worry if I didn't worry. it's the journey and adventure of a life time. what's not to enjoy? what happens, happens. oh and forgot to mention. am jealous. wish I had done this back when...

atbman

Are there any League of American Bicyclists road safe road riding courses in your nexk of the woods?

I've just googled https://www.bikeleague.org/cogs/resou...=22&submit.y=8

If there's time and there is one that's suitable, try that. It'll give you something else to concentrate on and will help to reassure you.

Sounds as tho' it 's a great ride. Good luck

mev

It may not help a lot, but I've also found that before taking a particularly long (for me) trip, I'll get some jitters getting it all worked out and focusing on the entire trip the days before. I'll pack, repack and go through lots of different scenarios just get it all worked through.

The first few days I'm still working things through in my mind in an interesting transition from the world I left behind and the day to day riding, camping, etc. After that I'll get into what I call "flow" where I'm much more working things through on a day-to-day basis and taking upcoming challenges as they come.

nicole999

Thank you for all the supportive comments!! It's calmed be down (at least a bit hah)
sggoodri - You are totally right, I think my nerves have popped up after talking to my non-cyling friends. Since I left uni and came back home, all I've heard is "why would you do that" from my less than supportive old highschool friends, or the "thats so dangerous!" comment. I'll try to shake it off, but for now, your comments are really helping! Its good to know I'm not that only person who gets a little nervous before a tour

nicole999

Oh, and I'm also going to add that all the posts about bikers being hit by cars isn't helping my nerves either! :S!

sggoodri

When a bunch of anecdotes are concentrated on one forum, it's easy to greatly overestimate the hazards of the activity. When your non-cycling friends think about cycling safety, they don't think about the 20,000+ miles they've cycled without incident, or the millions of miles cycled by people in their surrounding metropolitan area that year; they think about the rare and newsworthy incident that made it onto TV. They think about the close pass they once had, or traffic conflicts they may have encountered by riding in a manner that makes them less visible and predictable to other drivers. Many non-road-cyclists will say they are afraid to ride on roads and stick to the sidewalks, which creates conflicts that ironically only reinforce their opinions about how dangerous cars are.

I became a League Cycling Instructor to help cyclists feel more confident while also cycling more safely and efficiently on more roads to more places. I highly recommend you try to take an LAB Road 1 class before your trip to boost your confidence. There may be one scheduled near you, or you could ask a local instructor to create one for you and your companions.

https://www.bikeleague.org/programs/education/
https://www.humantransport.org/bikeclass/
-Steve

sanitycheck

A quick way to put all those non-cyclists' concerns in perspective: mention to them any longish ride that you already do routinely without worrying about it, and watch how terrifying they find the idea. ("I might ride over to Los Gatos this afternoon." " On a BIKE?") Then you won't worry when they react the same way to your touring plans.

Actually, on a serious note -- once you hit the road, remember this phenomenon whenever you need to ask for directions. Can't count the number of times I heard "You can't get there on a bicycle" (meaning there's not an off-road path) or worse yet, directions for crazily meandering routes because the well-meaning person assumed that I would want to avoid traffic at all costs.

todd123

Go ride, you are going to do something that some of us dream about...please let us know how it is going or how it went when you arrive. I am truly envious.

squirtdad

you can also check out the touring forum for more ideas and help

tomg

i work in the mental health field. i am NOT stating to be an authority, but am listing here my personal thoughts:

1) listen to your feelings, respect them, and grow from them
2) look at your team's task together, break it down to steps and realistic goals
3) consider "nervous" could be an emotion in another form, an example you could be "exited"...

look at your feelings, respect them, and express this with the people you will be riding with!!

Bottom line could apply here: "Just do it!" (no affiliation with Coke, Nike, Marlboro/Newport, etc)

nicole999

What were the busiest roads that you found yourself on using ACA routes?

buzzman

I've got a lot of miles under my belt and some pretty intense solo tours- (one across Canada and back across the US in one summer) and I still get what I call "the night before blues". At times it can be an overwhelming apprehension before a bike trip, whether it's 2 days or a month or more. I think it's a natural state partly because, for many of us, bike trips can be a kind of "rite of passage", a journey into the unknown in order to alter us, change us- hopefully, for the better. But our psyche resists change. Because of that we will naturally attach to something, anything that will keep us from crossing the threshold.

In the period of time before you leave you may find yourself thinking about all the things that can go wrong. Dangers from automobiles being the most obvious fear. But keep in mind if you've been riding regularly near your home you've been exposed to these same dangers. Remember that every day you'll be within a bike ride of some place that you might otherwise call "home". In that way, it's no different.

I've always found that once I'm out on the bike and riding I get so involved in the scenery, or climbing the hills, or enjoying the people I'm meeting or some minutiae that I completely surrender to the moment and forget about my anxiety- that's the beauty of a bike trip.

It's like surfing. As you watch the wave approach it seems insurmountable and insane. But once you get up on the board all that's left is to ride the wave and that's when the real fun begins!

Another thing you can do with your anxiety is use it- use the energy it creates to go for a ride, or do some maintenance on your bike, or do some research on the areas you will be traveling through. Or checking the details of your equipment.

Enjoy! and let us know how the trip goes- take pictures! we'll be looking forward to seeing them.

*(edit)- Oh, and by the way, you might do better to post in the touring forum. The A & S forum thrives on irrational fear mongering at times and can create an unhealthy and unrealistic perspective on bicycling safety. Bike touring is an incredibly healthy and relatively (to virtually any other activity) safe way to take a vacation. Don't let your non-cycling friends or the sturm and drang/sky is falling A & S posters get you down.

nicole999

Thanks buzzman! That makes me feel a lot better. I know, I try to calm my irrational fears by telling myself "your ride 8 m to school every day! And have never had any sort of dangerous run-in" but my mind still races. Hearing everything everyone has had to say, its made me feel better, but I think I may start this thread over in the Touring Forum. None of my friends cycle (beisdes the 2 I am doing the trip with!) so its nice to hear what people who actually cycle think on this topic. I take an experienced groups advice much more to heart than random individuals who like to put my trip down but really have no idea what its about!

TempeRider

In the pacific route - some sections of US hiway 101. It is the main north south coastal route. But the route avoids it where it is bad, and where it is used, there are wide shoulders.

In addition, it is actually posted not just as a bike route, but as the pacific coast bike route. And, there are a lot of cyclists, so motorists expect them.

Most of California uses CA state route 1, which is right on the shore - one of the most beatiful route there are - I imagine you will find ACA did the same on the atlantic.

So - enjoy yourself, and dont forget your camera!

Rick