Rappstar wrote:
The best piece of advice for getting back on the road came from our very own Dan Empfield. I was talking to Dan about how I was afraid to get back on the bike. His advice was simple. Paraphrasing, since it's been over a decade now, but he said two things:
First, you need to understand that bike riding is no more dangerous now than it was before you were hit. You are just now aware of how dangerous it has always been. And yet, before you were hit, you accepted this danger willingly. It's good to be a bit afraid. Because it will help keep you safe.
Second, and most importantly, you need to decide which is more important. Being afraid or being a bike rider. If you want to be a bike rider, then ride your bike. If you want to be afraid, then be afraid. But you get to decide which of those things is MORE important to you.
Ultimately, I decided being a bike rider was more important to me. I'm still afraid. But not enough to stop riding. I've gone through periods of only gravel. Zwift was a revelation for me as well. Lately, though, I've been enjoying being back on the road. I've been hit twice since my initial accident. Once moderately badly, in 2013. And once a couple years ago that was quite minor. They both shook me. A lot. As does every close call. But they are just reminders to never stop being cautious or being aware. But they are also not reasons to get off my bike
Getting back to it is a lot of two steps forward and one step back. And sometimes even one step forward and two steps back. But I still fundamentally believe in what Dan said. You decide what is MOST important to you.
Best of luck. And stay safe.
All good advice, thanks! For me its not if I mentally get through it, but how... Cycling of ANY kind is my happy place, and I could never git it up or just ride the trainer. The "What the F..." moment just before impact is still very clear in my mind though, and I hope to never go through that again. I DO think I will lean more to gravel and MTB now, but find it hard to think about not owning a light road bike and riding up the long climbs here outside of Denver. Just a matter of time, I suppose, but will probably now look 7-8 times before going through major intersections, or avoid them altogether. The rest of the stuff I already do... cognizant of traffic, bright jerseys and socks, blinking rear light, etc etc.
Colorado Triathlon Company, CO2UT 2021, Crooked Gravel 2022, Steamboat Gravel 2022