5 mph

Its Monday morning and I'm chugging up a steep hill on my Single Speed. On the left comes traffic. On the right is a Deep Ditch.
Its not the normal traffic on this road, Subaru's and Honda's that slow down and even stop so you are safe.
This time its big ancient work trucks and the drivers come within a foot of me .
I'm using Pedals with Straps. If I run out of steam, the Straps can keep me from getting my foot on the ground in time
to stop my fall because by now I am tiring and moving slowly. I can't downshift, I'm on a Single Speed
If my legs lose power and freeze I would literally tip over, hopefully into the ditch and not the tires of a big Ford Ranger.
I swear I will never do this again. It was really stupid trying to climb this Hill.
I look up and see I still haven't crested the hill. I have about fifty feet to go, and it hurts and it seems like it
takes 10 minutes to get there. There's fear and pain and breakfast coffee fumes in my stomach. I feel like a five year old SCARED CHILD. I won't do this again
Finally I am there!
I look down and see 200 yards of empty plunging hill, and I forget everything and a few seconds later, I'm whizzing down the hill at high speed, happy as a Five year old with an Ice Cream Cone. I feel like SUPERMAN.

Two days later, Its Wednesday morning and I'm chugging up a hill on my Single Speed. On the left comes traffic. On the right is a Deep Ditch.
Its not the normal traffic on this road, Subaru's and Honda's that slow down and even stop so you are safe.
This time its big ancient work trucks .....

Why do our Minds forget Pain and Fear so quickly?
Many of you have been Riding longer than me. Have you ever had this Happen?

fooferdoggie 

get hurt a few times you will not forget. still fill my torn rotator cuff 2 years later. I am far more careful now riding.

skidder

OUCH! . . . Huh? What?

fooferdoggie 

I try to avoid things that cause pain Now I cant take any pain meds anymore and I have been in wait too much pain in the last few years so I don't risk it much anymore.

Tomm Willians

I’m 6 weeks into recovering from the worst bike accident I’ve ever had. It made a deep enough impression that I doubt I’ll forget it to the day I die.
Once you have an event that hits a certain level of pain, you won’t forget it.

Hondo Gravel

I avoid country music because of the pain it causes to my ears.

PaulH

William Neal wrote a wonderful whitewater humor book, Kayaks to Hell . There was one story about a marvelous device -- the Reality Dimmer Switch. It installed onto your head and was a big button. When you were painful, wet cold, and scared, all you had to do was press the switch and you would think you were having a great time. https://www.amazon.com/Kayaks-Hell-W.../dp/0897320107

5 mph

I don't follow Country Music, its loved by many, but it's really out of my realm, being a second generation immigrant. I did think Dolly Parton was a real Star, though.

OldsCOOL

I have that same unforgettable pain.

canklecat

Depends on the situation. I've shrugged off most injuries -- bicycle and motorcycle crashes, sports, fighting. Heck, I was an amateur boxer until my early 20s, so getting hit and pain were just routine. You've gotta shrug it off instantly or there's no way to survive in the ring. I've seen guys quit, not because they were necessarily stunned, but you could see in their faces the pain just wasn't worth continuing another minute.

But being hit by a car almost three years ago stayed with me. Still hurts every damn day. And that sticks in my mind most rides now. There are days I'll go for a walk or run rather than get into traffic. Running hurts worse than bike riding. But nothing hurts like this daily neck, shoulder and back pain.

indyfabz

Plenty of threads in this forum started by people who have hard times forgetting.

texaspandj

I think it depends on the severity. The more severe the harder to forget.
The pain of lactic acid build up, high heart rate and searing lungs shouldn't be discounted, but it's a credit to humans survival instincts and mental toughness that makes us think we can conquer it next time. However, getting a cut, a broken bone or a concussion will bring on those same survival instincts that say "uh maybe I shouldn't do that again".

70sSanO

Personally, I think your desire to ride a single speed offsets anything else. You have made your choice, accept it.

I don’t care for traffic much these days and I choose my routes and times carefully. One thing I won’t do in a culture that could care less about my demise is compromise my ability to prevent it.

John

Bald Paul

Hit by a car 2 years ago.
My mind has pretty much forgotten the fear.
My body still feels the pain.

bruce19

It all depends on the mind in question.

mackgoo

It's how we move on.

big john

Was it Hassim Rahman who was crying in the ring against Lennox Lewis? That was a weird one, he just broke down.

downtube42

Imagine a clan living in a cave. To ensure survival, some had to venture out. To protect against catastrophic failure, some had to stay inside. So that means something, but I don't know exactly what.

We don't live in caves, but our instincts for risk/reward have not progressed much.

So go climb that hill. Our species needs it to ensure our survival.

j/k

Cougrrcj

Survival instinct. We forget pain. If not, would any woman that has ever delivered a child want to go through that pain again?

I've dislocated my right knee five times, the left knee twice... One time it doesn't pop back into place on its own, I literally had to grab my lower leg and pop it back in place my myself, then hop on the other leg 200' up to the house...

I've been hit by a car while riding a motorcycle, age 24 - I flew 100' through the air and landed on the pavement.

Kidney infection at age 13 - I was curled up in the fetal position on the bathroom floor due to the pain. Dad had to carry me to the car - still curled up - for the 20-minute ride to the hospital.

Appendicitis sat age 45 - again, a 20-minute ride - the wife drove me in her F250HD shortbed on the bumpiest Northern Ohio pot-holed roads to the nearest ER, and the appendix burst when they removed it.

Prostatectomy at age 53 - I thought I could walk to the bathroom the next day... I got out of the hospital bed, took two steps, and my body literally started to convulse from the pain... and down I went like a sack of...

Pain? Yep BTDT. Got the scars to prove it.


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OldsCOOL

That is why I ride, to forget things.

5 mph

This is not a post about ME
It's a post about US.
And I forgot to specify I use my Mirror very well. And there's also a chance I will get my foot on the ground. and I would watch my mirror before I tip.
And this is my last year riding Single Speed. 61 years old.

downtube42

That's how I intended - about us. Also intended somewhat light heartedly.

I broke my neck bombing down a butte 16 months ago, just after turning 60. I bomb down that butte now, albiet a tad more carefully. Yesterday I finished a 200k in drizzly darkness, which included a long twisty climb that I dislike due to the blind spots and lack of bailout options. It's my fifth time doing that ride, and I'll do it many more times.

I don't know why, I expect we're wired that way for some reason.

5 mph

In time I will be frail. and cautions 'm enjoying my last good year

bikejrff

I am five weeks since my worst bicycle crash ever. Still have 1.5 hour memory gap so i don't even know what happened. I feel your pain bro.

CAT7RDR

Most physical pain I experienced was from a fractured L2 playing football at age 15. Played 6 quarters before I was having trouble walking and had to pull myself out of the game. The mind can do incredibly stupid things when properly motivated.