Digital Gee

This is a difficult post to write (and post). It's embarrassing, frankly.

I'm having a problem with my new bike: fear. It's really a first for me; although I had some fear when I first went clipless back on the Roubiax, it went away pretty quickly.

Then I set bikes aside for about 2-3 years. As most of you know, I got bit by the bug again and took the plunge on a beautiful Masi - best bike I've ever owned.

Then, on my first ride, I tombayed. Nothing spectacular, just a bit of knee scraping, and it was also in a parking lot where I was in little danger.

I've taken the bike out only twice (business travel has gotten in the way), and both times to a MUP around a small reservoir nearby. Oddly, despite all the foot traffic, roller bladers, strollers, etc., I did not have much fear.

Since then, several things have happened.

One, I've been reading all the posts on 50+, and there are so many that have to do with riders getting hit, riders being hard to see, etc. There have been quite a few accounts of people falling, or getting hit, and breaking bones, etc. The cumulative effect on me is that I have started thinking, "Wonder when my time will come?"

Two, I live in a really crowded neighborhood, with streets that have lots of crap on the right side of the lane, and few, if any, bike lanes. It's a lot of stop and go at lights, and there are PLENTY of cars.

Three, I'm simply not comfortable with these darn M520's. I can't understand it - I rode 3,000 miles on them before. I darted in and out of traffic in a different but still car-crowded urban neighborhood.

Four, I'm not quite comfortable on the bike. Not in a physical way, it fits fine. More of a "simply getting used to this bike" kind of way.

I feel like I've regressed or something!

All of which has stunned me because I hadn't anticipated it whatsoever. I find myself having to talk myself into taking a ride. Then, throughout the ride, I am focused so much on making sure I'm going to clip out in time for the light, and how close that car was to me, that I am not enjoying it like I used to.

Although I haven't had a legitimate panic attack, it feels like I'm on the verge.

Bike stores are closed tomorrow, Sunday, but I think early next week I'm going to see about getting a platform adaptor for the pedals, and not riding clipless for a while. That and a mirror of some sort. The only rides that I can imagine right now that would be pleasurable would be somewhere there is no traffic whatsoever. And no people, no other bikes, no nothing.

Not likely I'll find a place like that!

NCbiker

I would suggest you put a pair of good platform pedal on the bike and get some miles on it. You can always come back to the clipless once you are more comfortable.

Mobile 155

Do what you have to do DG. I use a helmet mirror everyday except if I happen to be racing. Bar end mirrors seem to work pretty well for some. I don't have the traffic problems you do but there is one street downtown I avoid simply because of the number of right hooks I see on that street. But that doesn't stop me from finding another way to get to point B.

CbadRider

SPD platform/clipless pedals. It's a nice, big platform pedal with an SPD clip on one side. I have them on my hybrid bike.

As for the panic attacks, don't dwell too much on "what if's". You could get hit by a bus while walking or have a drunk driver hit you while you are driving.

Choose the route with the least traffic. If that doesn't work, can you drive to a MUP where you would be able to ride without having to deal with cars?

B. Carfree

Shall we all start posting about our non-cycling relatives and friends who have sedentary lifestyle diseases? Then you can be rightfully afraid of sitting on the couch.

I won't belittle your fears, they are real. Sure, you've lost some strength, fitness and balance during your hiatus, but those will come back. In a year or so you will wonder what you were so concerned about. Put some platforms on the Masi and get rolling. Heck, go full retro and get some toe-clips and straps. (They are much more secure than platforms alone.)

Negative interactions with cars aren't all that frequent and actual contact is rarer still. The joy will return as your riding speed and skill come back to you.

Dudelsack 

When I used to ride MTBs I had an IBS flare before each ride.

When I took up road riding, I didn't so much, even though statistically it was not quite as safe.

When I got my bent I got downright nervous before each ride. I still haven't gotten over it.

Even so, I've put in close to 500 miles on the bent over the winter.

We all get The Fear sooner or later. Maybe it will get better with time. I think the key is that what you are experiencing is very common.

I pretend I'm much safer by decking out my bike with running lights, and dressing like Bozo the Clown.

So hang in there. And HTFU.

BluesDawg

The benefits of clipless pedals are real, but they are not remotely important enough to let stand in the way of your feeling comfortable riding a bike.

Artkansas 

I felt somewhat the same way after I was bikejacked in L.A by two different gangs at the same time. The next night, I cut 10 minutes time off a 50 minute bicycle commute on paranoia alone, and that was going from my nice bike to my beater bike.

But I was not going to let fear stop me from cycling.

It took miles, but the feelings slowly went back into the now instead of into the fear, and I enjoy biking once more and don't fear.

Digital Gee

All the responses so far have been very helpful, thanks. I was a little hesitant to post anything at all, because one part of my brain was telling the other part that I was just being silly, and that I should "man up" and just get out there.

So it's good to know I'm not the only one who's had this issue. I do think I'll temporarily swap out the clipless for platforms, because I think that's at the root of the problem more than dealing with traffic. That, and not having a mirror which I'll also fix.

I do know one thing: there's NO way I'm not going to ride, whatsoever. Not just because I've got a lot invested in the bike, either. But because I truly LOVED cycling a few years ago, I want that feeling back, and I want all the fitness and health benefits as well. So I think the answer is pretty simple: get some platforms, get a mirror, and get my confidence back.

Thanks, all.

Artkansas 

You can do it. Fear is just the mental equivalent of a headwind.

Can you use the pedals from the Globe? They should fit.

Digital Gee

I thought about that. I'm going to have to see if I can find the pedal wrench I know I used to have. Also didn't know if the pedal extensions I have on the Masi would complicate things. I'm SO not a wrench!

lhendrick

I'm glad to see you had the courage to post what to you is troublesome feelings. Good to hear that everyone has good advice. I have pedals with clipins on one side and a platform on the other, so I can go both ways. I find as a touring guy that I just don't need the fear of not unclipping at lights and in difficult situations. I'm not exactly running at high efficiency anyway.

As to traffic, this turned me off where I was riding, and I have to spend a lot more time planning where I will ride, as I refuse to get on roads with lousy shoulders and fast traffic.

Your concerns regarding being hit by a car are well founded. You should be concerned, there are a lot of bad drivers out there. Your fear needs to be converted to vigilance. In time your confidence will grow as your skills return.

Other than that, man-up, stop whining and just ride the damn thing...

Digital Gee

Mobile 155

If you have the same pedal extensions I had they have a flat side for your wrench. They were a pain to get off my Look pedals however. But the extensions and pedals will be easy to get off.

Doug64

Wen you go back to clipless pedals, you might try adjusting the tension setting to the lightest setting possible, almost to where the bolt falls out.

A couple of years ago I was saved from what I think would have been a serious crash by accidentally using pedals set up this way. I put new pedals on my wife's bike, and put her old ones on my touring bike. She adjusts the tension on her pedals so light her foot almost falls out. Several weeks later we were in the middle of a tour along the California Coast. We were both fully loaded, and I was drafting behind her when I touched her back wheel with my front wheel. As any of you who have done this knows, the guy in the back is going down. We were riding beside a ditch that was about 12 feet deep. As I was going over, I remember thinking "this is going to hurt. As I came in contact with the road shoulder both of my feet came out of the pedals and I landed on the slope into the ditch. I slid all the way to the bottom--- on top of about a foot of freshly mowed grass. If my feet had not come free of the pedals so easily, I would have probably had most of my contact with the road shoulder. In this case it worked out well. I guess if the ditch bank was mostly rocks or had not been mowed, it would be another story. As it turned out I did not even have a scratch. the point is loosen the tension!

Bill Kapaun

I think there gets to be a point where one realizes they don't have coordination, balance etc. that they had when younger.
Personally, I never had those to start with, and have ALWAYS stuck to platform pedals.

I find that during the winter, when I ride much less, the "fear factor" is much greater.
I think being off the bike for a couple years definitely makes a difference. Add a NEW bike to the equation and I don't think you are experiencing anything that abnormal.
You'd probably be somewhat paranoid if you hopped on the old bike after a couple riderless years.

stapfam

Looking at it logically- All you have to do is train. Pedals and there are ways to get over the problem by loosening the Tension or even going back to platforms.

But the Fear of being hit. It is remote. It can happen but you have an advantage in that you know the problem is there. You will be keeping your eyes open for the car that is going to get in your way- You will spot the driver that is being erratic- you know the places where a car can pull out of a junction in front of or into you. That gives you a big advantage over the over- confident cyclist and most definitely the arrogant ones. That advantage has given you a 99.999% chance that you are not going to be hit.

Only thing is the .001% that you cannot cater for. And that could happen if you walk down to the beach to take the pics of the Local Fauna that we still have not had yet.

volosong

Even though it is designed for a mountain bike, for years I rode with a Mirrycle MTB Bar End Bicycle Mirror. Don't have one on my current steed, and really miss it. It looks kinda dumb and Freddish, but being able to see behind with a quick glance down is quite useful at times. Only real problem is that the thing sticks out so you can't lean your bike against the side of a building on the side you mount the mirror. And ... sometimes the allen bolts loosten, so it might be useful to carry the supplied allen wrench in your seat pack.

maddmaxx 

Sometimes it's good to have a bike rack on the car so that you can take the bike somewhere "nicer" to ride.

John_V 

Damn, now I feel kind of responsible for your fears after posting about the three cyclist getting hit. Although no one can really know how you feel, there have been some good suggestions here to help you overcome your anxiety about riding. Maybe the platform adapters are the first step in overcoming your anxiety by knowing that you are not connected to your bike in the event something happens.

I had a very similar experience when it came to riding with clipless pedals. After the four falls (in one day) I had practicing clipping in and unclipping, I put the platform adapters on the road bike and road it that way for about two weeks. I set the tension on the platforms to the highest setting so they won't come out if I twisted my foot. In the meantime, I would practice the clipping and unclipping motion on the platform adapters while riding in regular shoes, each time I came to a stop or made a U-Turn. At the end of the two weeks, I was doing the clipping in and out motion without thinking about it, even though I was still riding on the platform adapters. This really helped build my confidence to the point that I took off the adapters and started riding clipless and have not looked back. I still use the adapters on the road bike when doing my Saturday club rides since it is a slow, casual ride that involves a lot of clipping in and out for too darn many stop lights and stop signs. The numerous stops don't bother me, as far as the clipping in and out goes, it's just that I don't feel like unclipping right after I just got done clipping in a block away.

As for being involved in a crash with a vehicle, that can happen even when you are in your car or walking down to the corner store. As a prostate cancer survivor battling leukemia, I have found that you don't worry about what you can't control. if you do, it will drive you nuts. You can't control the actions of others but you can control yours. You can practice clipping in and out of the pedals, as I did. You can ride on less crowed roads until you feel more comfortable riding in traffic again. You can drive to the MUP with your bike on a rack, as I do, if you feel uncomfortable riding the bike there.

Just hang in there, it will come to you. Just don't let your anxiety override your love for cycling. Besides you just bought that bike and it would be a shame to let it sit in the garage collecting dust and spiderwebs.

Don in Austin

There is no law that says you have to ride clipped in. I have thousands of miles on platform pedals and steel-toed work shoes. I have a nice pair of shoes and SPD pedals. The SPD pedals are on a replacement bike that belongs to a riding partner who got her bike stolen. She keeps telling me that she needs to pay me for them or give them back to me and I keep telling her I don't care -- I never learned them and probably never will. I go on group rides with people 40 years younger riding their Cervelos and I am not the first to roll in, but I am far from the last. Down the road and if you are bored and looking for a challenge or you want to race you can take off the platforms. Here's my favorite platform pedal: https://www.treefortbikes.com/product...m-Pedals,.html

Northwestrider

platform pedals.

10 Wheels

40,000 miles with these. I don't ride without a mirror.



From a bike messenger in NY
https://www.messengermirror.com/

donheff

+1 M320s. I have been riding them for years. Until you get comfortable again ride on the platform sides in the stop and go areas and clip in only when you are comfortable.

jethro56 

I suggest next weekend or whenever your schedule allows, go to somewhere there's a long paved trail.(During the week would be better if it's busy) and just ride as much as you can for as many days as you can. You've put four things on your plate. Riding, new bike, traffic and clipless. Tackle them one at a time with traffic being after the trip(s).