I had my first group ride today. Cindy and I met a group for a nice and easy social ride. Everyone was really nice and had so many helpful pieces of information. I was nervous, but it wasn’t nearly as scary as I thought it would be.
I still have many things to work on. But my biggest obstacle is fear. Perhaps this stems from being the wife of a competitive racer. I’ve had too many phone calls from teammates letting me know when Michael is on the way to the hospital. He’s broken his hip 3 times, his nose twice, and his collarbone. He’s deaf in one ear because he went through a wheel and a spoke punctured his eardrum. He’s been sliced up and stitched up more times than I can count. And I’ve spent hours picking gravel out of road rash.
And then, there are the inconsiderate people who just don’t want to share the road. Once a drunken man, with a gun, in a Hummer, chased Michael for miles down a country road while throwing empty beer cans at him and calling him a faggot in tights. There are idiots out there. He’s even been hit by a bus.
Please don’t misunderstand, Michael has been racing for over 20 years and his bike handling skills are beyond superior, but it just takes an angry driver, a slight mishap, or one inexperienced cyclist with a huge ego to cause a serious catastrophe. I could write a novel about things that have happened to Michael on the bike. He’s been to funerals of friends who have been killed while riding, and yet his dedication to the sport is unwavering. I don’t understand why, at this point, he isn’t totally afraid of getting on the road, but he isn’t. Not a bit. And for years it made me angry that he wasn’t.
I’ll never be at Michael’s level of cycling and probably none of these things will ever happen to me. Still, I need to work on letting go of this fear of cycling I’ve held onto for so long, or I’ll never gain its benefit.
But I have to say that today was a breakthrough for me. I rode 21 miles very slow and cautious but I gained some confidence. A car didn’t hit me, I didn’t get lost and I didn’t cause anyone else to crash. These are all good things. But most importantly, I did not fall over. And to be honest, the falls haven’t harmed me; they’ve just hurt my feelings a little.
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{ 18 comments… read them below or add one }
Congrats on trying a group ride. They are addictive. As for danger on the road….after 20 years of riding…it never gets better and only gets worse.
…as for losing friends while riding: http://www.bikeforums.net/showthread.php?t=228955
I think about it every ride. If I didn’t I should stop riding.
Wow, reading Michael’s experiences make ME not to ride again! Seriously, not that you want to ride scared, but I think there is a lot to be said for riding with a healthy level of awareness of what could happen and an appreciation of danger.
RE: falling and clips, once I was on a long ride with a new club and someone started riding along with me. While we were coming to a stop sign he goes, “Why do unclip so far out from the sign?” I never noticed I do that, but I, like you, have hit the pavement a few times. I still unclip way too early. Does it slow me down? Yep. Does it bug my friends whom I ride with? Yep. But it makes ME feel in control. That’s what matters. I’ll never be one of those people who can keep the bike upright at a dead stop by balancing my body/bike.
Happy riding!
Mary
Egad! Your fear is justified with that kind of history. I do think a little bit of fear is a good thing so don’t try so hard to overcome it. Accept it as part of the territory. It keeps you cautious and on your toes.
This is my reason for not getting on the bike … falling, dying, everything you mentioned.
Holy Crap about Michael, I won’t let him out of the house … lol
YAY!!!! I’m standing and clapping!
Do you remember how I used to write about my fear of the bike? I used to have to talk myself into every.single.ride. I used to pray it would rain or my friends would bail or something. But I kept at it and now I love my bike. I am well aware of the dangers but riding is just so exhilarating. I love it.
I’m SO glad you had a good ride! You can ignore my email message now.
And serious roadies all have stories. My neighbor got hit by an in attentive driver and he wasn’t hurt too bad but he shrugs it off with “eh – I ride 6,000 miles a year. It’s bound to happen” So I just keep it under 6,000 miles for the sake of safety.
Good job on not dying! WooHOO!
With a spouse like that, you Practice Acceptance better than anyone I’ve ever heard of. Good job on that, too.
Suz,
You did great today! We didn’t wreck, cause a wreck or die! I would say it was a great ride! I can’t wait for the next ride.
good for you for getting out there. cyclists (and other non car drivers) need to reclaim the roads. it makes me sick how cars dominate every city in this country (ok – most countries). perhaps with a hell of a lot more people willing to be brave, and fit, and enviro-friendly we will eventually progress and evolve and tip the balance away from cars.
(oh, and thanks for justifying every evil thought I’d ever held about hummer owners – wtf is wrong with them anyway?!) stay safe!
That’s it. I’m mothballing my Cannondale.
Be careful out there Susan. Pick the time and the place.
good job on your ride.
i hate boys.
i had a friend here who rode competitively. she told me all sorts of stories. some guys in a ute (think car and pick up love child) dumped a cooler (esky, better say esky or ewen will get pissy) an esky of ice on a friend. another car wove in and out of a pelaton. bet all these phuktards are the first to sit down for the olympics and hoot for the medal count, ignoring that the cyclists help that.
anyway, hummer boy probably can’t pay for the fuel now. dickless phuktard.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-J0lqqH8TN8
I share your same apprehension about cycling, but still I would LOVE to do it… good for you..
congratulations, you had a great ride
When I started riding on busy roads I used to have to chant things to myself like “I will be fine”. Another blogger told me to do that and it really helped with my anxiety early on. It will get easier!
I realized I never leave my blog link for you with my comments. Now it’s linked. ;>)
congrats on not dying! i would have to kill michael though. good god, no wonder you’re terrified! so glad you found a nice group to ride with. i’m terrified of riding in traffic. it’s why i won’t commute 5 miles to work by bike. i value my life too much. And cars, runners, cyclists and pedestrians are locked in eternal and unending battle here in d.c. it’s pretty bad.
i like nice country roads, with cows!
a little late to the game, but congrats. fear can be crippling. however, when on the bike and on the road caution is always a good thing. ride on.