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scared on the bike
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 2005-04-14 10:24 AM |
 24 |  Subject: scared on the bikeI recently took a fall on my bike (I was adjusting my shorts, road was clear, no wind, no cars, no nothing) and fractured my shoulder blade. My doctor told me an isolated fracture to the scapula is very rare. It us usually accompanied with other injuries. People falling from buildings, high speed car accidents, etc. are usually the victims of this type of fracture. I had no other injury. My doctor very solemnly told me I should have broken my neck. All this to say, my confidence has been shot. I was never completely comfortable on the bike (fears never subsided from the first ten falls I took (this is a true statement, I can't seem to stay on the bike). I am determined to conquer this fear but I am very scared. |
| 2005-04-14 10:49 AM in reply to: #142441 |
Pro 4206   Los Angeles, CA | Subject: RE: scared on the bike What was the reason for the fall besides just adjusting the shorts? Were your arms tired? Was it that you couldn't get out of the clips? |
| 2005-04-14 10:52 AM in reply to: #142441 |
Regular 98 New York, NY | Subject: RE: scared on the bike Wow. I'm no cycling expert, but I wanted to say I'm sorry you took such a bad fall! It sounds really scary. I do have two suggestions, atlhough let me give the caveat that I only once fell on my bike, and that was like 15 years ago when I got side swiped by a car: One, become more confident in your ability to keep your balance (even when fixing your shorts, drinking water etc). Have you ever taken any classes which focus on balance? I am thinking of things like yoga or ballet. It might help your body get more in tune with how to stay centered and balanced and steady, which could help you on the bike. Two, have you ever learned how to fall properly? I know this may sound silly, but there is a technique for falling to minimize damage to your body. It involves tucking your head and trying to roll out of a fall, rather than trying to break the fall with your hands etc. I'm not sure exactly where you could learn this (I had a soccer coach spend an hour teaching us when I was a kid), but I am sure there is something online. This way you won't be so nervous about what could happen if you fall. Good luck! And isn't this where the expression "back in the saddle" comes from? ;-) --Jennifer |
| 2005-04-14 10:54 AM in reply to: #142441 |
Extreme Veteran 494 Horse Country | Subject: RE: scared on the bike Abby, If it helps, on the Monday night club ride, I was one of the only two guys there who *hadn't* fallen and broken my collarbone. I almost joked that I should just jump off the bike and get it over with. (NOW I've jinxed myself!) Oh, you said SHOULDER BLADE! Now that does sound a bit unusual. Did you land on something funny? Only cure I know of is desensitization. Ride your bike - a LOT. Make yourself get out there and ride, gradually pushing your comfort zone a little bit each time. Before long you'll be bombing down hills with the best of them. Fears can be tough. My wife flipped over a parked car once when she was a kid. She still will hardly consider getting back on a bike, and she didn't even break anything. I'm wearing her down, though!  Anyway, I hope your shoulder is healing well. Keep at it. Time heals all wounds. |
| 2005-04-14 10:55 AM in reply to: #142441 |
Elite Veteran 1817  Cedar Rapids, Iowa | Subject: RE: scared on the bike You have every right to be scared, Abby, that sounds terrible. I don't know how long ago this happened, but you said recently so I assume you now have some recovery time to take that is going to keep you off the bike, and away from training altogether? If I was in this situation, my first step would be to attend every event in my area until I was ready to train again, to keep my motivation up. I would also do every physical activity I could do comfortably even if it was only walking outside or on the treadmill - just to stay active. Now I have a comment to make and I promise I am not trying to insult you in any way so PLEASE don't take it that way. Multiple falls on the bike like you have taken should not occur. It sounds like you may have some issues with your balance / coordination. And also, from taking so many falls, you are probably tense on your bike now, which is also not good. You said yourself you have never been very comfortable. Like you, I would be determined to conquer this fear . I do not give in to things like this, and it sounds like you won't either. That is half the battle. I am kind of an internet hound, I like to get a ton of info off the net. I would be searching around for balance/coordination exercises - typically ones that are for building the core involve a lot of balance. If you're not a nettie like me, and need some outside assistance, maybe a couple of sessions with a personal trainer that are only balance focused to get you started, then you can do them on your own after that. Yoga is also VERY good for balance. The next thing I would do is set myself up an obstacle course in a parking lot close to home and simply practice it over and over until I felt comfortable with the stopping, starting, cornering, swerving aspects of riding my bike. That's what I did when I was starting out on my bike last year, because at the age of 40, I had not been on a bike since the age of 12! It may SOUND silly, but it works. I hope this helps start you with some ideas - good luck and congratulations on being determined to conquer this hurdle and move forward. |
| 2005-04-14 10:57 AM in reply to: #142441 |
Champion 6786 Two seat rocket plane | Subject: RE: scared on the bike I can't help but wonder if fear of falling is causing you to fall. (ironic, eh?) That's ten falls in low long a period? On a road bike? Is there a common thread amongst cause(s) the falls? How long have you been riding? Do you have some inherent physical issue that affects your bike skills? |
| 2005-04-14 11:33 AM in reply to: #142441 |
| 24 | Subject: RE: scared on the bike I took my fall three weeks ago and am still in pain.I did not fall on anything, pavement was clean. I fell on my neck and head (skid marks on my shirt were on the shoulder). I have always had balance issues. I was raised very "girly" with no sports background. I'm 45 yrs. old and began training for tri's two years ago. Prior to this I had never trained or participated in any sport. I had to learn how to swim, run and yes bike. Unfortunetly I had a coach who put me on the bike to fend for myself. It was much like being thrown in the water without knowing how to swim. THat first season I broke two fingers. I have never been confident as a result. (the coach is history by the way) I realize my balance, techinique and inability to remain relaxed all play into my falls. Yes, my fear is causing me to fall. I don't know if my determination or my stupidity in staying in the sport is hurting me. All I know is that I will not quit. However, I do not want to continue to fall. My feelings will not be hurt with the advise I get. |
| 2005-04-14 12:15 PM in reply to: #142493 |
Champion 5495 Whizzzzzlandia Silver member | Subject: RE: scared on the bike I had a similar issue... It seemed like my bike kept throwing me off! I wiped pretty badly on my mountain bike once... (entirely my fault, trying to ride on the SIDEWALK, slipped off the edge of the pavement and into the grass, and tried to get back on the sidewalk, but got caught in that little lip between the grass and the sidewalk...) Fell, cracked my helmet, dislocated my shoulder, and road-rashed my entire right side. (ON THE SIDEWALK!) I had mud caked into the vents of my helmet... I was a mess... This hurt my confidence greatly... Then, I bought an OLD road bike from a guy at work... it was a bit too big for me... it had really old early '80's aerobars that were not placed anywhere NEAR where they would have needed to be for me... I was on the bike path... in this God Forsaken aero position, when I came over confidently speeding up on two other bikers, I yelled "On your left" and intended to fly right by, but the guy moved TO the left, I hit him, and "SPLAT" landed on my head again. My neck has never been the same... interestingly enough, I dislocated my OTHER shoulder that time. (I've since learned proper bike path etiquitte... I'm reformed... never fear, NW Chicagoland bikers!) I was paralyzed with fear following those two falls... I only gripped my bike in the down position, I had no balance, no confidence, no nothing. Last summer I did the following two things and they totally helped me with my "cyclophobia"... 1) JOINED a biking group... through my Health Club... organized rides every Monday night. A map, a leader, and some confidence building instruction from a very experienced biker who was patient and KIND. Didn't make me feel like a moron for being so wobbly and still wanting to ride with a group... 2) WATCHED the Tour De France from start to finish... those guys wipe out all the time, and they're professionals! ha ha... No, really, I watched them ride, looked at their body positioning, and generally got into cycling as a sport! I love it! I have a new bike now, and I love it too! I'm working on clipless pedals and I'm loving them also! (Since the T de F isn't on now, you can get your cycling fix on Sundays at 4 pm CST on OLN... the CYCLISM! ) Take your time... find someone to teach you... or find a cycling group...Maybe a group that's not too hard core and a bit more interested in educating...? Don't be too hard on yourself, and good luck. (!) Let me know how it goes.
Edited by Whizzer 2005-04-14 12:16 PM |
| 2005-04-14 12:32 PM in reply to: #142493 |
Expert 948 Mount Vernon, Iowa | Subject: RE: scared on the bike Abby - 2005-04-14 10:33 AM All I know is that I will not quit. However, I do not want to continue to fall. My feelings will not be hurt with the advise I get. You are one ballsy woman if you don't mind my saying so. You should be incredibly proud of yourself. I grew up a tomboy so I took all my bad falls early on, but there were some doozies. One in particular sticks in my mind: I was taking a corner fast, ran into gravel, and everything went black. When I woke up there was blood running down my arm and my father was carrying me, running to the car. My brother saw me fall and ran to get him, and I only came to when he picked me up. Stitches, concussion, but nothing broken fortunately. You can take some nasty falls on a bike. Lots of people do, it's not just you. My 3 pieces of advice would be these: (1) Get a medical exam to be sure you don't have some physical condition that affects your balance. (2) Look for a bike safety course that will do things like going through cones slowly, teach you skills for riding safely in traffic, etc. , and (3) Ride, ride, ride! Once you know it's not a physical problem, get back on that pony! Good luck! Let us know how it's going! Carrie |
| 2005-04-14 12:57 PM in reply to: #142441 |
Pro 4206 Los Angeles, CA | Subject: RE: scared on the bike Just a thought, what about getting an indoor roller so help practice with your balance. Just a thought. http://www.nashbar.com/profile.cfm?category=123&subcategory=1087&br... |
 2005-04-14 1:20 PM in reply to: #142441 |
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| 2005-04-14 1:43 PM in reply to: #142547 |
| Champion 6786 Two seat rocket plane | Subject: RE: scared on the bike auto208562 - 2005-04-14 12:57 PMJust a thought, what about getting an indoor roller so help practice with your balance. Just a thought.http://www.nashbar.com/profile.cfm?category=123&subcategory=1087&brand=&sku=12675&storetype=&estoreid=&pagename= ABBY DONT BUY ROLLERS!!!!!!! YET!!!!! Rollers can sharpen existing skills, but have a notoriously steep learning curve, and the potential fir disaster is high.. It's like saying "Oh I see you got your learners permit.....here's an F1 car for you to drive" First of all, make sure your bike fits you second, make sure that your safety equipment is all there and in good shape (helmet, gloves, glasses) I am going to reccommend long pants too (hell buy mtb armour if it will make you feel safer) Now, you need to practice your bike handling, do it like kids do get flat pedals find a safe place (parking lot, cul-de-sac, big lawn) where there is no traffic and a large flat surface get some stuff to ride around (cones, empty soda bottles, cardboard boxes, whatever) ride practice riding at things and missing them concentrate on the riding, learn how the bike feels when something is right, and when it's wrong PLAY zig-zag madly about, see how small a circle you can ride, how slow can you go, make figure-8's chase butterflys HAVE FUN, act like a kid the point is to get comfortable on the bike, to know how it works, what it can and can't do, and conversely what YOU can and can't do don't worry about "training" do this once a week for 30-60 minutes . |
| 2005-04-14 2:06 PM in reply to: #142441 |
| Coach 10487 Boston, MA | Subject: RE: scared on the bike On the international triathlon union website http://www.triathlon.org/ there is a section name "latest videos" select any of those videos as it will open a new window label ITU TV and the video will start playing. Below the video screen, scroll down to the section: Select A Video Category from the Menu below, and choose "coaching tips". There are 2 videos labeled kids of steel. Select part 1. It shows a few riding exercises to get use to handling a bike. I really don't know if those drills are too basic or not but hey, anything that might help right? If not you can follow all the ITU world cup races for 2004 and 2005 and it might help motivating you Good luck! |
| 2005-04-14 2:18 PM in reply to: #142577 |
| Champion 5495 Whizzzzzlandia Silver member | Subject: RE: scared on the bike Actually, I did that stuff too... at ride_like_u_stole_it's recommendation last year. All good ideas. Figure 8's especially... and "track stands" and I practiced riding on a white line, practiced grabbing my waterbottle without looking etc etc....All will DEFINITELY help... |
| 2005-04-14 2:19 PM in reply to: #142577 |
| Pro 4206 Los Angeles, CA | Subject: RE: scared on the bike My bad  ride_like_u_stole_it - 2005-04-14 10:43 AM auto208562 - 2005-04-14 12:57 PMJust a thought, what about getting an indoor roller so help practice with your balance. Just a thought.http://www.nashbar.com/profile.cfm?category=123&subcategory=1087&brand=&sku=12675&storetype=&estoreid=&pagename= ABBY DONT BUY ROLLERS!!!!!!! YET!!!!! Rollers can sharpen existing skills, but have a notoriously steep learning curve, and the potential fir disaster is high.. It's like saying "Oh I see you got your learners permit.....here's an F1 car for you to drive" First of all, make sure your bike fits you second, make sure that your safety equipment is all there and in good shape (helmet, gloves, glasses) I am going to reccommend long pants too (hell buy mtb armour if it will make you feel safer) Now, you need to practice your bike handling, do it like kids do get flat pedals find a safe place (parking lot, cul-de-sac, big lawn) where there is no traffic and a large flat surface get some stuff to ride around (cones, empty soda bottles, cardboard boxes, whatever) ride practice riding at things and missing them concentrate on the riding, learn how the bike feels when something is right, and when it's wrong PLAY zig-zag madly about, see how small a circle you can ride, how slow can you go, make figure-8's chase butterflys HAVE FUN, act like a kid the point is to get comfortable on the bike, to know how it works, what it can and can't do, and conversely what YOU can and can't do don't worry about "training" do this once a week for 30-60 minutes . |
| 2005-04-14 2:28 PM in reply to: #142441 |
| molto veloce mama 9311 | Subject: RE: scared on the bike here i sit, typing with a bolt in my left elbow, a 5 inch scar meandering down my arm. i understand. like you, it could have been worse. i could have been hit by the car i was swerving to avoid when i fell. all in all, i was lucky. i was raised biking, but it was still hard to get back on the bike after breaking and dislocating my elbow. it required reduction under floroscope, surgery, a chunk of hardware that reminds me of stuff in my husbands shop, physical therapy, and lots of bread bags over my arm during showers. i even had the joy of having my mom and my then boyfriend (now husband) giving me a bath together. nothing like an injury to force you to get naked in front of the people you love.  getting back on the bike was difficult. i was scared, and i was weak. BUT if i waited to get all my physical strength back, i knew i would lose strength of resolve to get back to riding. i had to balance the two. one of my first rides was in a snow storm and i wiped out on some ice (which is how i broke my elbow in the first place - swerved to avoid getting hit, slid on black ice, down i went). after that, i was okay. i realized that i would fall again and might get hurt again, but that possibility wasn't worth not living my life. i've survived many injuries and will again. when i fall now, i think, 'that could have been much worse'...and then i celebrate the fact that one more fall is in my past instead of my future. it may take some time to get comfortable with the idea that you might fall again and get hurt again, so for now, just start riding...and ride outside. find areas that have off street bike path. go slowly. once you start to have fun on the bike again, then challenge yourself w/ some speed and road riding. you'll get scared and edgy, so go slowly at first. don't expect to be where you were emotionally and physically right away. it will take some time, but you will have fun on the bike again. after a while, visit the spot where you were hurt. seems corny, but this has been really helpful for me. after my fall, i took a different route biking to work to avoid that spot. i didn't even realize i was doing it. this last year was the first time i rode by it. ran past it twice last weekend on a run. its hard not to think about the fall, but every time i pass that spot - in different circumstances, different seasons, different people biking, running, walking by...i realize my injury is in the past. life goes on. Edited by autumn 2005-04-14 2:32 PM |
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