Fear of road riding

[Suttzzs]

O/K I know there are riders out there who are fearless or dare I say foolhardy but I have a genuine fear of riding on our crowded and fast roads most of which are akin to racing tracks - Most of us drive some kind of a vehicle so we all know where I am coming from - If I rode a motorcycle I would be taught defensive driving but on a bicycle I receive nothing - once I get onto a road I am on my own - other vehicles come speeding up behind me and each time I wait for the crash as they come so close to me....Cycle paths are great but unfortunately there are none within miles of where I live.

High visibility vest + high viz helmet don't seem to make my prescence any more noticeable - has any body got any tips to boost my confidence to allay this fear of other vehicles....I live in daily fear each time I venture onto these dreadfully crowded roads......Self preservation has taken a firm hold of my cycling exploits.......I love cycling but the fear is taking that pleasure away from me.......Cheers....Suttzzs.

 

[Arch]

If I rode a motorcycle I would be taught defensive driving but on a bicycle I receive nothing

You can teach yourself though.

Buy and read cyclecraft.

It's defensive riding for cyclists. Some of it is plain sense, some a little more counterintuitive until you understand it. Like riding further out to get more room from passing drivers - the idea being that they see you more as an obstacle to pass, than something to brush past.There are tips on tackling all sorts of junctions and hazards.

So, buy it (or see if you can get it from the library), read it, put it into practice and then re-read it occasionally - we all benefit from refreshing our knowledge every so often.The driver or cyclist who thinks they know it all and can stop learning is the biggest fool.

 

[Deleted member 1258]

You can teach yourself though.

Buy and read cyclecraft.

It's defensive riding for cyclists. Some of it is plain sense, some a little more counterintuitive until you understand it. Like riding further out to get more room from passing drivers - the idea being that they see you more as an obstacle to pass, than something to brush past.There are tips on tackling all sorts of junctions and hazards.

So, buy it (or see if you can get it from the library), read it, put it into practice and then re-read it occasionally - we all benefit from refreshing our knowledge every so often.The driver or cyclist who thinks they know it all and can stop learning is the biggest fool.

+ one for cyclecraft, also theres also an excellent book by the IAM, institute of Advanced Motorists, called How To Be a Better Cyclist which is worth reading. Riding on the road takes a mixture of confidence, knowledge and experience which takes time to learn, and as Arch said you never stop learning, I've been a cyclist for over forty years but I'm always willing to learn and add to my knowledge.

 

[Andy_R]

You might also want to get a lesson or two with a local instructor (as you would with motorbikes or cars) Have a look here CTC Instructors

 

[growingvegetables]

You can teach yourself though.........

+1

And ... any chance of finding a buddy to cycle with?

Edited - aye and +1 on finding an instructor; I know Leeds council instructors also offer help for adults - I'd guess most councils do?

 

[Deleted member 1258]

+1

And ... any chance of finding a buddy to cycle with?

Thats an excellent idea.

 

[Pat "5mph"]

I have been commuting by bike since October now. I started cycling on the roads just last week I don't really have to, can use pavements, cycling paths, go through parks. I'm trying to get used to the roads because in winter they are gritted (fell on ice going through the park) and the cycling path is often full of broken glass.
Every time I set out I have this unsettling feeling of dread, that goes away after about 5 min.
I'm lucky that I mostly do not commute in rush hour. I'm lit up like a Christmas tree, I know they can see me, I follow the highway code, got to know all the potholes, don't cycle in the gutter, all the good tips of the commuting forum ... still, I feel sometimes I'm gambling my life away on the road.
I could say to the op "stick with it, you will gain confidence" which is true, but at rush hour, if you feel stressed, if it's possible at all, change your route to avoid busy traffic areas.

 

[Deleted member 1258]

I never realised that people felt so worried about using the roads, I suppose it goes some way to explain the amount of pavement riding I see and It probably has a bearing on how few cyclists I see, most cyclists round here seem to be weekend warriors . To me it's just normal and natural to ride on the road, it doesn't worry me nor does it feel as if I'm gambling with my life, What the solution is I don't know, may be we need some proper infrastructure, not the hodge podge we get now, perhaps we need to go down the cycle training route..

 

[Pat "5mph"]

Dave, I wish somebody could train me in what do do when a car passes me(going straight ahead) to turn left, because he/she cannot wait half a minute for me to be out of the way. Or, like last night, roads empty, black taxi stationary at the side of the road waits exactly for me to be at his bumper to decide he must move out. I mean, I have so many flashing lights not even Santa! And there was no others on the road. Of course I anticipated that was going to happen, I lived to see my cat again
I don't really care about reporting drivers and the like, just wanna get to work and back home in one piece.

 

[caimg]

Yeah I've noticed how much it can affect people recently. My Mum was a beginner when she picked up a bike about 3 years ago, she had a close pass from a bus and was too scared to get back on the bike. I've just managed to talk my fiancée into trying a bike to use for commuting and rides with me, and she's slowly gaining confidence but on a ride 2 weeks ago she was on the verge of tears after having a bus behind her and feeling like it was about to squish her. I think some people just feel more vulnerable than others, and it's completely understandable! I'm glad I don't really feel uncomfortable or intimidated on the road but I think it's normal to feel vulnerable surrounded by hundreds of huge cars and no protection!

 

[terry_gardener]

+1 for cyclecraft and maybe bikeability lessons.

also might be worth going out at quiet times like 8pm when the roads are quiet to gain confidance.

 

[jowwy]

I have been commuting by bike since October now. I started cycling on the roads just last week I don't really have to, can use pavements, cycling paths, go through parks. I'm trying to get used to the roads because in winter they are gritted (fell on ice going through the park) and the cycling path is often full of broken glass.
Every time I set out I have this unsettling feeling of dread, that goes away after about 5 min.
I'm lucky that I mostly do not commute in rush hour. I'm lit up like a Christmas tree, I know they can see me, I follow the highway code, got to know all the potholes, don't cycle in the gutter, all the good tips of the commuting forum ... still, I feel sometimes I'm gambling my life away on the road.
I could say to the op "stick with it, you will gain confidence" which is true, but at rush hour, if you feel stressed, if it's possible at all, change your route to avoid busy traffic areas.

Cycle tracks yes - pavements no

 

[Arch]

I think fear is a sign of intelligence and imagination. I think the fearless careless ones are the ones who simply can't anticipate danger.

Two mornings running this week, I've turned into a side street on the way to work, to be confronted by a woman riding up the wrong side of the road towards me - not up the middle, but actually on her right hand side. The first day, I simply avoided her, as she moved to her left. The second day, I called out "You know you're supposed to ride on the left?" to which she shouted back "It's early in the morning!". I don't know if she meant 'it's too early to think straight' (it was 8.25am, so not exactly dawn) or 'it's early, so there's no traffic' (maybe not on the side street, but plenty on the main road). She clearly wasn't bothered about danger. I suspect when she got to the main road, she'd ride on the pavement anyway, but for her own convenience rather than out of fear.

The good thing about intelligence and imagination though, is that although they see danger, they can be trained to work for the good - anticipate, look ahead, expect anything, and by and large, you won't be caught out.

 

[StuAff]

Arch & Dave have hit the nail on the head here. Read up (on here, in book form, other online sources), find a few people to ride with (and learn from them), and it'll get easier to deal with. All of us, regardless of where we're from, have had to learn to manage our fears as best we can (and I mean manage- it's a case of accepting that there are risks and dealing with them, not ignoring them). Plenty of people on here talk of the mere idea riding in London as absolutely terrifying, for example. Having lived in Pompey (the most densely populated city in the UK, I believe) for my entire life, it was a bit less scary. The roads are just as narrow, frequently as busy, and the buses might not be red but they're not small either. Yes, some drivers are idiots. But most of them want to go about their business and arrive safely just like you, and they don't want to hurt you either.

 

[Pat "5mph"]

Cycle tracks yes - pavements no

Why not pavements? There are no pedestrians, it's an industrial estate. Actually there are pedestrians on the cycling tracks on my way, because they are shared.