Help - Loss of confidence!

After a couple of weeks of public transport and my 20 mins (11mile) journey taking anything for 1 hour to 3 hours and 10 mins, I can no longer put up with Tfl or Connex, so I decided to give the bike a go.

Today is my second day back on the bike after my accident and it was typically raining.

I didn't enjoy myself this morning.........I was very twitchy and felt really unsafe the whole way in, making some silly mistakes and generally driving nervously.

My hand is quite painful and the whole biking thing has completely lost its appeal for me and for the first time in over a year I longed to be sitting in traffic warm and listening to Kiss or Capital.

It's only my second day back on it, but the once massive benefit of not being stuck in traffic and the cost saving simply doesn't seem to equate any more.

I'm sure it is like this for everyone that comes off a bike, but all the stuff that used to make me laugh, smile and grin on the bike (even in the worst of weathers) doesn't anymore and all the car driver errors which were anticipated and avoided, all of a sudden seem a lot worse, especially as I am acutely more aware of the consequences.

I know that I wasn't badly hurt as many on here have been, but I had enough of a shock to have been shaken.

I also know that I will get the response on here of being told to stop being such a tart, but felt that I needed to share it with someone and Mrs.Hall is already a bike hater, so if she knew I was feeling like this it would be game over.

[SoulKiss]

Well if it could be game over - dont post on the internet :P

Seriously tho, I had an off a month and a half ago (as mentioned on here), broke a little finger, dislocated a thumb) and only really got back on the bike 2 weeks ago.

I was exactly the same as you for a good few days, as you said, its something that happens when you have an off, and if its due to having lost grip with the road, at first every manhole cover looks like a potential off.

Stick with it mate - it will get better.

David

No one in their right mind will give you the 'shut up tart' retort. Having a spill on a bike is a big thing no matter how small simply 'cos of the small margin of error a 'small spill' is away from a 'big serious spill'.

I had a medium spill about 5yrs ago and it has taken me literally 5yrs to pluck up the courage and get back on a bike.

It isn't because i am a 'tart' or anything like that but it's taken me this long to gain confidence in OTHER road users, rather than my own driving. This isn't to say I was a perfect rider by any means but the nature of the crash made me really think about how much people take into consideration other motorists.

In the middle on winter when it's rank is probably not the best time to re-assess your confidence/love of biking. Perhaps a leisurely break until the spring will give you enough time to get over your injuries, really assess whether you want to go back to biking AND offer you a few sunny days to test your mettle abit more comfortably.

Kev, maybe jumping straight back on the bike and doing your daily commute wasn't the best way to deal with it then? Maybe you should wait until your injuries heal fully, and even then, if you are still feeling nervous then go and chuck the bike around a few empty (or certainly quieter) roads of a weekend (or just outside of "rush hours") just to get ya confidence back up?

Hope the injuries heal quickly though and hope you don't give up something that you once clearly enjoyed

Take it easy
Pete

Confidence is a terrible thing to loose and perhaps rather than force yourself into riding in bad weather and heavy traffic,take it slowly and wait for nice dry days where you have the freedom to ride without pressure and "ease" yourself back into the saddle.
Goodluck whatever you decide

I've had this, but it seems to pass after a while and then you wonder what all the fuss was about. My latest 'incident' was so daft, I'm taking the car for a bit until the weather clears up. Anybody guess how you can fall off a bike at 0 mph in an empty carpark?
Knee knacked and fairing cracked

Krhall, wait for a nice sunny day and go for a gentle bimble. You have tyo build yourself up again, and re-learn what you lost not riding the bike. Dont worry, it'll all come back to you!

Matt

Yeah that all makes sense, I did it out of necessity really as I couldn't stand the commute any other way, but I was thinking of a cheap run-around for a few months and maybe that would provide me with the breathing space.

I think the worst thing for me is the fact it wasn't my fault and so there is little I can correct in my driving style, well in particular regard to the accident any way.

The reason I posted is because I wanted the voices of reason to come through rather than the anti-biking ones which I am currently emersed in, so now the arguements are balanced.

I have to ride home tonight and it is going to be dark and almost certainly wet, which is not a favourite riding condition of mine in any case, with glare etc.

Even when a clear piece of road appears, the appeal of the V-twin engine and a quick lossening of the wrist - did make me smile.....in fact I very quickly rolled off again, last night in the dry.

What you need to do is just relax. You know how to ride a bike, its not hard! Give your bike some time to warm up, and remember all those little things...grip with the knees, and not with your hands, that'll make it easier to ride, etc etc

Matt

I think the above advice about going out when it's dry and pleasant is very good. The other thing to reiterate is that it's totally natural to be on edge after a crash - it's what separates bike racers from normal people. I've crashed a few times in my 15 years on bikes but you do get over it after a few weeks.