Lost my nerve to ride

[jrandom]

I am really struggling with enjoying the ride... I have panic attacks everytime I get on her.

Can anyone offer any suggestions?

Good to see everyone being warm and fuzzy here, but I gotta ask, why are you doing something you hate so much?

Seriously.

We're imperfect, and therefore crashes happen, and sometimes you break bones. Been there, bought the T-shirt.

If that fact puts you off motorcycling, then in my 'umble opinion it's just your eminently sensible brain pointing out that you're taking more risk than you're comfortable with.

Why not take up a hobby that statistics show is less likely to kill you? There's no actual virtue in being on two wheels. The idea of motorcycling and the reality of it sometimes just don't mesh for people. No shame in that.

[yungatart]

Just because one lacks nerve or confidence to do something, does NOT mean that one hates it, Dan! She wants to ride, just lacks the confidence to do so safely.
Not all of us are born naturals, not all of us can throw our bikes down the road with gay abandon, break bones and then get back on as soon as the casts are off. Some of us actually feel fear and trepidation at the thought, BUT the desire is still there.
Give the girl a break and pull your head in dude!

[jrandom]

Give the girl a break and pull your head in dude!

Not trying to be negative. I'm just not sure that being pushed onto a motorcycle with all sorts of well-meaning but useless advice is what she really needs, is all.

I mean, if it was me, and I was doing something that was giving me goddamn panic attacks, I'd say "fuck this, I have better things to do with my life".

There's a lot of peace to be found in admitting that something's not for you and moving on. I've seen people not doing that due to pride and stubbornness, and it doesn't make them happy.

gay abandon

Gay?

[vifferman]

Dan's point is a goodun, that obviously we hadn't considered. I mean, being bikers, we all tend to think that it's a very good thing, and that people should persist at it. But it may well be that for some people, it's something they're just not suited to, and to persist with it is subjecting themselves to needless unhappiness. People try other things and chuck them in for various reasons - why should motorcycling be any different?
I'm not saying kels is in this boat (on this bike?!?), but like Dan said, it's something for her to consider.

[Ixion]

But I recall Ms Kels as being a very happy biker in her earlier days. I would distinguish between the person who tries motorcycling and decides "No way, I don't dig this"; and the person who tries it, likes it, then gets a bad fright and can't get back on the horse.

[vifferman]

But I recall Ms Kels as being a very happy biker in her earlier days. I would distinguish between the person who tries motorcycling and decides "No way, I don't dig this"; and the person who tries it, likes it, then gets a bad fright and can't get back on the horse.

Of course.
I think Mr jrandom's point was that maybe we hadn't considered the other option: that kels deciding not to "get back on the horse" wasn't necessarily a bad choice to make, if it relieved her of much angst.
Fear and loathing in Los Kelsville, and all that....

[FROSTY:Me]

My answer tou your comment Mr Random would be to say.
You raise a good point BUT
The very fact she is asking for advice to restore her confidence answers the question.

[ManDownUnder]

The very fact she is asking for advice to restore her confidence answers the question.

Just beat me to it. I know there's a presure to conform with peers, and it might look bad to opt out etc - but having met the person in question I am happy she'd be very comfortable telling anyone trying to pressure her exactly where to get off...

[Blossom]

I mean, if it was me, and I was doing something that was giving me goddamn panic attacks, I'd say "fuck this, I have better things to do with my life".

each to their own.

Sometimes overcoming those panic attacks is the difference between living your life to the full or merely living.

Personally getting back on a bike was a battle for me too, one I'm winning.
The idea from where I am sitting is to not let these fears stop me from doing what I enjoy cause most of the time they are way way out of proportion to the actual amount of real danger I'm in.
Once I overcome that fear the sense of achievement is incredible, and well worth the effort.

just my 2c worth.

[varminter]

Ok, my input. Feel the fear and do it anyway. I'm 60, haven't been on two wheels for 40 years, the first few times I went out on the bike I could hardly stop my hands from shaking as I was doing up my helmet (love the gear, no one knows how old I am) but I kept going, now I love it. Stick with it, you will overcome the fear.

[doc]

I agree with Jrandom . "It is better to have thought about something and tried than to have thought about something and not tried at all". But maybe its not for you and you have got to question, why you are trying again if you didn't like it the first time.

[The Pastor]

give it a go, you'll be fine. Head along to one of the newbie rides, i think they do them weekly, lots of good advice there.

just start off small, around the block when traffics not so busy. Then keep taking the bike to the shops etc. you'll get back into it no worries!

[motorbyclist]

*reads first 5 posts and skips to reply button*

relax and enjoy the thing!

come round to the uni club; our laid back "when we get there" approach works well for these sorts of things. beers/social on fridays, free mechanical work some weekends and rides of varying pace pretty regularly almost always with a slow cruisy group

[ital916]

*reads first 5 posts and skips to reply button*

relax and enjoy the thing!

come round to the uni club; our laid back "when we get there" approach works well for these sorts of things. beers/social on fridays, free mechanical work some weekends and rides of varying pace pretty regularly almost always with a slow cruisy group

no offence meant andrew to you or the club but learners have been totally left behind on club rides, I'm mainly referring to coro loops. Maybe an organised learner only ride as the scenic group usually consists of two or three bikes with the rest boosting into the distance.

[MSTRS:Me]

No disrespect to you Uni guys, but a group ride is no place for a nervous newbie or someone who's lost their confidence. One on one, with a suitable mentor, is the way to go.