Hey me and a buddy were hitting this little jump by our house for about a half hour( this is my first bike). I was getting used to jumping so i hit it in second reved out then at the top i cracked the throttle and went into the band. this was stupid of me because the front wheel went sky high and i landed on the back wheel, the bike tipped and we fell(me+bike). i just got some roadrash but when i went riding today i felt unconfident a weary of the machine, what can i do to get over this phycological hurdle, i feel like a wus when i ride all i think about is hoe stupid my frame of mind is, please help.
Falling and returing.
- Thread starter gmacd
- Start date
two things I do:
1. if you can, get back on the bike and ride like it didn't happen.
2. for the next rides, practice, practice......the more you ride, the more confident you will become.
we all fall. if you're lucky, you learn something from your fall. being pushed to the edge of one's limits and beyond, is what advances your skill level. (that and practice... :D )
1. if you can, get back on the bike and ride like it didn't happen.
2. for the next rides, practice, practice......the more you ride, the more confident you will become.
we all fall. if you're lucky, you learn something from your fall. being pushed to the edge of one's limits and beyond, is what advances your skill level. (that and practice... :D )
A similar thing happened to me last year on my XR. We had built a little double and I was getting better and better at it. So one time I figured I'd hit it in 4th instead of 3rd and I totally attacked it. Next thing I know, I totally overjumped it and was coming down off line right into a tree. I locked up the brakes, and steered as far right as I could to miss the tree head on. Fortunately, only the left peg and shifter hit it. I bent my shifter under the case though and limped it home. But the next day I was out on the same jump. It's best I think to try to get back at it as soon as possible, otherwise like you said, you get a big mental hurdle that you becomes higher and higher everytime you don't face your fear.
- Thread starter
- #6
thanks guys. i know falling is a regular thing, in fact i fell like it wasn't a good ride unless i fall hehe, but this one was different, i think i've over come it i went out rideing a couple times and i fell like i can actually go a bit faster. cool. thanks for you comments!
The best advice I could give is to get back on your bike quickly (assuming you are not injured) and do something other than jumping. Go for a fast trail ride or enter a hare scrambles. You will be forced to focus on a different aspect of riding and using somewhat different technique. You will quickly get into the new experience and your confidence will come back more quickly. When you do return to the MX track, you'll have your last experience in immediate memory. Work up slowly and do what you know how to do. I find that most of my crashes have come when I am tired or have lost concentration. Riding in the woods or in a hare scrambles causes you to focus intensely in a different way and trains the mind. It help a lot in my MX. If you care to look deeper, fear sometimes has other meanings in your life. Figure out what that is and find a way to prevent it from impinging on your MX efforts.
For what its worth....and good luck.
For what its worth....and good luck.
If you are not able to go over the spot or jump you wrecked on agian that day, I suggest visualization. I have a particular spot that I have trouble with. I get very intimidated by it. Every time I get to it I get a not in my stomache. What I have been doing is when I am not riding I picture myself conquering the spot over and over again until I believe I can do it. Visualization can be key in any sport.
The spot that gets me is behind my buddies house. In order to get to the main trails from his house he forged a path through the woods. There is one spot with a 90 degree turn, almost too narrow for an ATV with a huge rock on the outside and tree on the inside. There is no way to hit this fast. It immediatly goes straight up a cliff like trail. It is so steep that I cant keep my body up on the tank and one mistake sends you down either side with rocks and trees. I hate it but am looking forward to conquering it every time I ride there. Last time it conquered me.
Never Give Up...Never Surrender
The spot that gets me is behind my buddies house. In order to get to the main trails from his house he forged a path through the woods. There is one spot with a 90 degree turn, almost too narrow for an ATV with a huge rock on the outside and tree on the inside. There is no way to hit this fast. It immediatly goes straight up a cliff like trail. It is so steep that I cant keep my body up on the tank and one mistake sends you down either side with rocks and trees. I hate it but am looking forward to conquering it every time I ride there. Last time it conquered me.
Never Give Up...Never Surrender
Ditto what everyone else says.
I think crashing helps us amateurs to stay within our limits. A crash resulting from a bit of over exhuberance keeps things toned down for a few weeks, which gives you time to practice the things you are comfortable with
Don't worry, your confidence will return. :yeehaw:
I think crashing helps us amateurs to stay within our limits. A crash resulting from a bit of over exhuberance keeps things toned down for a few weeks, which gives you time to practice the things you are comfortable with
Don't worry, your confidence will return. :yeehaw:
flyfishdoc
Member
- Apr 29, 2002
- 126
- 0
I ride in my back yard two to three hours a day, today i hosed down this downhill turn that i practice on and rode it for about an hour... i fell about 10 times on it... every single time i just got back up... picked up my bike and got on it... rode around in first again then got back into the attack position and started doing laps again... just keep practicing man... i've got to the point where falls dont zap my confidence at all... i almost got a concussion three weeks ago and i was out riding the next day. Just learn from your mistakes. Look at bubba... hes had some ugly crashes... they obviously havent hurt his confidence!
Andrew
Andrew
I am about to embark on a return to bikes this weekend for the first time in 11 Years. I always loved motorcycles, but I haven't ridden since 1991.
I was in a very bad accident in Africa, where I nearly lost my arm, and now have about 25% use of three of the fingers on my left hand. I had to get back on the bike immediately after the crash and ride 15 miles through the bush and ride it to camp in first gear one handed over some very rough terrain. I did survive obviously, but fealt exactly what you were feeling when I got on this bike last week. I still feel this way, and will for awhile I'm sure.
At 35 years old, I am getting back into the sport and am nervous as hell, but I know my love for the sport, and my passion for bikes will keep me coming back for more. Anyone who tells you that they have never been scared to death at least once in their life on one of these bikes is a liar. I like to think of this fear as excitement! It carry's the same chemical to my brain! Adrenaline!! ;)
Play safe, Have fun! That's the name of the game! (For me anyway! :))
Dave
I was in a very bad accident in Africa, where I nearly lost my arm, and now have about 25% use of three of the fingers on my left hand. I had to get back on the bike immediately after the crash and ride 15 miles through the bush and ride it to camp in first gear one handed over some very rough terrain. I did survive obviously, but fealt exactly what you were feeling when I got on this bike last week. I still feel this way, and will for awhile I'm sure.
At 35 years old, I am getting back into the sport and am nervous as hell, but I know my love for the sport, and my passion for bikes will keep me coming back for more. Anyone who tells you that they have never been scared to death at least once in their life on one of these bikes is a liar. I like to think of this fear as excitement! It carry's the same chemical to my brain! Adrenaline!! ;)
Play safe, Have fun! That's the name of the game! (For me anyway! :))
Dave
davefire24
Member
- Jul 30, 2002
- 30
- 0
I had a similar feeling. I actually crashed pretty hard broke my wrist and two bones in the hand. When i was good to ride again i was a little weary of the bike, taking easy and stuff but the more you ride the better your confidence builds and you get back to tearing it up. So my advice is to get back on and just ride you'll get back the confidence you once had.
- Feb 9, 2000
- 2,450
- 2
DaveRS575, where in Africa did you crash, and what were you riding. Was this a race/enduro, roof of africa ??
Whenever I have an incident like this, I just force myself to do it CORRECTLY the next time around and all is well.. With the exception of the whoops. I used to be real fast in the whoops at my local track, only a few pros were faster.. Until I swapped at the end of the section one time and hit the base of a tree square-on, tapped in 3rd gear. This scared the crap out of me, as it seemed that I was doing everything the same as I always do (successfully). I've never regained the confidence that I lost in that crash.. Ever since then I'm average at best in those whoops. I feel I can pick up the pace, but something tells me not to, every time. I still feel like it could happen again, and last time I was extremely lucky to escape severe injury and walk away from that one.
I'll still jump the 70' doubles and 106' quad jump (on occasion), but I won't blitz the whoops. If I wadded it on the 106' quad jump for no apparent (to me) reason, I probably wouldn't do it anymore either as it would not feel safe.
You should get the confidence back, but don't push yourself too much, ride safe and smart. Most of us don't get paid to do this, and we have to show up at work on Monday morning.
I'll still jump the 70' doubles and 106' quad jump (on occasion), but I won't blitz the whoops. If I wadded it on the 106' quad jump for no apparent (to me) reason, I probably wouldn't do it anymore either as it would not feel safe.
You should get the confidence back, but don't push yourself too much, ride safe and smart. Most of us don't get paid to do this, and we have to show up at work on Monday morning.
