Can't Cycle after Spill

[Bernie]

Elisa Francesca Roselli wrote:

>I'm very upset about this.
>
>By evening, I was unable to start at all. Simple paralysis. I cannot put that initial pedal down
>and let go of the brakes and move. After wheeling her home I tried starting on the easier Myrtille,
>in the security of the underground parking where there is no traffic, no weather, and completely
>flat conditions. Same result: complete paralysis at startup. My brain says "Go on, you can do
>this", but my body just will not respond. I can no longer ride a bike.
>
>EFR Depressed in Ile de France
>
You can do it, Eliza. At times like this it is good to remember "Things Take Time". Sleep on it a
few days, take a rest, put your focus on other things for a while. Then maybe clean and polish your
"Myrtille", lower the seat a little, and practice starts in your underground parking or on a level
footpath. You don't need to push yourself too hard, just go easy, and practice moves that your mind
and body already have learned. Think about new moves to learn, like starting from standing astraddle
the bike with your right foot firmly on the ground and left on the pedal at about 8 o'clock. Push
the pedal and gently glide a little. You'll be smiling before you know it! Peace, Bernie

 

[Doug Purdy]

"Elisa Francesca Roselli"
<[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> Has anyone here had to deal with this sort of situation? I'm at
loss
> what to do. I think this weekend I shall have to go back to the
very
> first thing I ever did on a bike: put the seat way down to
kiddie-height
> and try to balance her downhill without pedalling. But I trust
neither
> bike: Behemoth is too difficult overall and Myrtille really
needs to
> have her brakes softened before I will risk her again.

You've lots of other good advice and encouragement. If it doesn't work, maybe another way around it
would be to take up weight lifting and judo or some other martial art that involves falling and
bashing / getting bashed around. This should improve upper body strength making it easier to avoid
falls and getting used to falling should make it less unusually exciting as well as giving you
practice in how to minimze injury when falling.

You seem like a determined, adventurous type of person who might be able to do that.

Doug For email, a sense of wonder.

 

[J. Richard]

I had a similar experience twice. Once when I got hit by a car riding the bike and suffered a broken
collarbone and a concussion, and another time when I broke my leg skateboarding on a ramp. Each time
I experienced an almost crippling fear after I was healed enough to resume. On the bike every time a
car would pass by me I would be so stricken with fear that I had to force myself to keep riding.
That lasted strongly for a week, pretty strongly for two weeks and would pop up once in a while out
of the blue for a long time after. Same thing with the skateboard ramp, only worse. I would drop in
and be overcome with intense fear accompanied with a horrible visualization. It would then be
compounded knowing that having my mind and body that distracted would bring my fear to reality in
the next split second. It was nasty. I forced myself through it and it also lasted about a week with
the out of the blue re-occurrences for a long time after.

I feel now that had I not flown in the face of those fears when they were so strong, that I
would never have been able to surmount those out of the blue occurrences later on. It was really
hard when I had total confidence and then suddenly such an intense fear would come completely
unexpected. I needed the memory and experience of pressing through when the fear was constant in
order to get through those unexpected moments.

Now I occasionally experience the same levels of fear regarding my children. I consider myself
blessed to have had those past experiences to know how to relax through them, know that they
don't have to be actualized and press on.

For me fear is the absolute worst.

My advice would be as stated above: relax, know that having the fear doesn't have to create the
reality, and keep going.

Love and Light

"Elisa Francesca Roselli" <[email protected]> wrote in message news:401643E8.E5B65F8@quadratec-
software.com...
> I'm very upset about this.
>
> I mentioned that last Friday, riding a bike with recently upgraded brakes that I was unused to, I
> had my two first falls in traffic. I was unhurt both times, and conscientiously got back in the
> saddle both times immediately, because I was afraid of going phobic.
>
> Unfortunately, by the time I took Behemoth out to go to work on Monday, phobia had well and truly
> set in. I was unable to start the bike up the initial hill from my home. I wheeled her to a
> flatter section on a secure bike path, and was able to start. But then I was unable to start on
> another uphill and had to wheel her into work. On arrival, I was shaky and weepy.
>
> By evening, I was unable to start at all. Simple paralysis. I cannot put that initial pedal down
> and let go of the brakes and move. After wheeling her home I tried starting on the easier
> Myrtille, in the security of the underground parking where there is no traffic, no weather, and
> completely flat conditions. Same result: complete paralysis at startup. My brain says "Go on, you
> can do this", but my body just will not respond. I can no longer ride a bike.
>
> I'm particularly worried because about ten years ago I abruptly lost the ability to mount an
> escalator. Unlike this occasion, it was not the result of an accident, but to this day escalators
> are such an issue to me that I have to go out of the way on my trips on the Paris metro to avoid
> them, and cannot use certain shops that have no elevators or stairs. I am sometimes able to get on
> an up-escalator (never a down), but it takes so long, and so much psych-up, and raises blood
> pressure so high, and keeps so many people waiting, that it is no longer worth it.
>
> Every time I think about biking now I have an anxiety attack, and I had anxiety dreams about
> biking all last night. I was delighted with a weather warning of black ice conditions because that
> gave me an excuse to come to work on foot and just not face the bikes today. (In fact, the morning
> was warm and there was no ice or snow). All the pleasure has gone out of it.
>
> Has anyone here had to deal with this sort of situation? I'm at loss what to do. I think this
> weekend I shall have to go back to the very first thing I ever did on a bike: put the seat way
> down to kiddie-height and try to balance her downhill without pedalling. But I trust neither bike:
> Behemoth is too difficult overall and Myrtille really needs to have her brakes softened before I
> will risk her again.
>
> EFR Depressed in Ile de France

 

[Elisa Francesca]

Thanks to all for the kind words and advice.

I've decided to leave this until the weekend. Snowy and icy weather today lets me off the hook
anyway. Even before the spills I certainly would not have ridden under these conditions. The other
reason is that there is a time imperative in taking the bike to work, because I have to _get_ to
work at a reasonable hour, so that involves rushing, which adds another level of panic. On the
weekend, I won't need to get anywhere within a specific time-frame, so I can practise slowly and
then perhaps redo my very first route, to the local supermarket along flat bike-paths.

I shall also devise myself a magical fetish to touch. Irrational fear, irrational solution.

EFR in snowy Ile de France

"J. Richard" wrote:

> I would drop in and be overcome with intense fear accompanied with a horrible visualization. It
> would then be compounded knowing that having my mind and body that distracted would bring my fear
> to reality in the next split second.

 

[Rick Onanian]

Don DeMair wrote:
:It is nice to see someone ask beginner-type questions and get
:respectful answers. It must be your style which is open and honest. I
:would miss you.

On Tue, 27 Jan 2004 15:58:03 +0100, Elisa Francesca Roselli <Elisa.Francesca.Roselli@quadratec-
software.com> wrote:
>Gosh, people are so nice here.

We can't be anything but nice to you; between your style (described as "open and honest"), your
pleasant attitude, your strong desire to succeed, and your patient requests for help, we can't
resist!

The advice given by others is good; try relaxation exercises, wait until the pleasant weather before
you ride (and tell yourself that you're ONLY doing it for the weather), and as scary as they sound,
rollers would probably take care of all your problems.

With rollers, you can work on your balance without ANY other worries. There's no traffic to watch
out for. There's nothing unexpected in the road. You can surround yourself with soft things to land
on in case you fall; or you can put the rollers halfway through a doorway to always have something
to hold on each side of you.

Some models even offer a stabilizer that mounts to your fork to keep your bike still; riding like
that would probably not help your balance on the road any, but it would help you get comfortable
with the trainer. Once you are comfortable, it may become easy.

Of course, the big issue with rollers would then become cost; you've poured a lot of money into
cycling, and your money is probably not unlimited.

Good luck and best wishes, Rick Onanian

 

[Tom Keats]

In article <[email protected]>,
Elisa Francesca Roselli <[email protected]> writes:
> Thanks to all for the kind words and advice.
>
> I've decided to leave this until the weekend. Snowy and icy weather today lets me off the hook
> anyway. Even before the spills I certainly would not have ridden under these conditions. The other
> reason is that there is a time imperative in taking the bike to work, because I have to _get_ to
> work at a reasonable hour, so that involves rushing, which adds another level of panic. On the
> weekend, I won't need to get anywhere within a specific time-frame, so I can practise slowly and
> then perhaps redo my very first route, to the local supermarket along flat bike-paths.
>
> I shall also devise myself a magical fetish to touch. Irrational fear, irrational solution.

Actually, I wonder if your current reluctance to ride is fear-based at all. It may be that you just
need some time to mentally assimilate and process a lot of new input -- after all, you've just
gotten your Myrtille back from the shop handling much differently from when she went in, and you've
just listened to/read some conjectures & speculations about Behemoth's quirks. And you've been doing
some analyzing about the subject, yourself.

So, by all means, take some time off from riding until you're ready to try again. There's no
pressure. The quality of enjoyment is not strain'd.

When you next set foot to pedal, perhaps think to yourself: "Thank goodness this is just bicycle
riding -- not rollerblading, or chainsaw juggling, or basic training in the army."

cheers, Tom

--
-- Powered by FreeBSD Above address is just a spam midden. I'm really at: tkeats [curlicue] vcn
[point] bc [point] ca

 

[Zoot Katz]

Wed, 28 Jan 2004 10:16:40 -0800, <[email protected]>,
[email protected] (Tom Keats) wrote:

> It may be that you just need some time to mentally assimilate and process a lot of new input

Pre-effin-cisely!

Ask Fab, he'll tell you this is the off season. Ride the trainer. Watch the videos. Skip the
junk miles.
--
zk

 

[Tom Keats]

In article <[email protected]>,
Zoot Katz <[email protected]> writes:

> Ask Fab, he'll tell you this is the off season. Ride the trainer. Watch the videos. Skip the
> junk miles.
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

I just took it relaxed 'n easy today, myself. Today's journal entry (so far):

----------------------------------------------------------------------------
Wed Jan 28, 2004

Rode to Spanish Banks, where I saw 4 bald eagles, 2 ospreys, a murder of crows, a random scattering
of seagulls and a pair of Canada geese. Didn't see the great grey owl which is reputed to have taken
residence around there.

The sky was grey, and in the throes of trying to clear up but not quite being able to. It was more
of a pearl than slate grey. Could only see the feet of the North Shore mountains peeking out from
beneath an evenly hemmed smock of cloud. Maybe that straight line was where the snowline is.

At Spanish Banks there were a couple of crows picking at herring remnants on Jill's Log, where I
intended to stop and rest. I just let them continue to dine in peace.

The water at Jericho Wharf was a little choppy, but clear enough to see the bottom. I looked to see
if I could spot any Red Pacific octopi down there, but no luck. A passer-by's doggie came up to me
for a visit and a pat. I mentioned seeing the eagles; he (the passer-by, not the dog) remarked that
he'd just seen some down at Kitsilano Beach, too.

There was just a smattering of drizzle during the homeward leg. I considered stopping at the DQ at
Broadway & Trafalgar to see if they've finally heeded my pleas to reinstate iced tea on their bill
of fare, but I decided to just keep going. Hauling my sorry carcass up Cypress & Angus streets was a
bit tedious thanks to my losing some condition last month, generator drag, and 10 pounds of stuff
including binoculars in the milk crate.

Round trip:

T: 1:53:52
U: 5693.3
V: 40.7
W: 16.1
X: 30.61

I noticed there'd been a half hearted attempt to re-pave 3rd between Trafalgar and MacDonald. I
wish they'd hadn't. I rather enjoyed waking up the neighbourhood, clattering over all the
broken concrete.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------

So, Fabrizio can have the videos. We'll take the junk miles and real life. And the off season.

I guess the Off[tm] season is when we've gotta spray insect repellent on us.

My numbers show I've got a lot of base condition to regain.

cheers, Tom

--
-- Powered by FreeBSD Above address is just a spam midden. I'm really at: tkeats [curlicue] vcn
[point] bc [point] ca

 

[Bernie]

Elisa Francesca Roselli wrote:

>Thanks to all for the kind words and advice.
>
>I've decided to leave this until the weekend. Snowy and icy weather today lets me off the hook
>anyway. Even before the spills I certainly would not have ridden under these conditions. The other
>reason is that there is a time imperative in taking the bike to work, because I have to _get_ to
>work at a reasonable hour, so that involves rushing, which adds another level of panic. On the
>weekend, I won't need to get anywhere within a specific time-frame, so I can practise slowly and
>then perhaps redo my very first route, to the local supermarket along flat bike-paths.
>
>I shall also devise myself a magical fetish to touch. Irrational fear, irrational solution.
>
>EFR in snowy Ile de France
>
Yes, that's the ticket. No need to rush. There are natural time frames at work. As long as you
have your positive attitude, you are on track. Give yourself breathing room. Things take time.
Keep in mind you are already experienced, you just need to work on some already learned moves.
Remember to breathe (breathing well is one of the best reasons to cycle) and remain comfortable.
Best regards, Bernie

 

[Bernie]

Elisa Francesca Roselli wrote:

>Thanks to all for the kind words and advice.
>
>I shall also devise myself a magical fetish to touch. Irrational fear, irrational solution.
>
>EFR in snowy Ile de France
>
PS: irrational or not, a fetish is powerful. I used to carry a small crystal ball (gift from a dear
friend) in my pocket when I had to enter a stressful confrontation. It did no harm, and I feel
it steadied me for the task ahead. B

 

[Eric S. Sande]

>I've decided to leave this until the weekend. Snowy and icy weather today lets me off the hook
>anyway. Even before the spills I certainly would not have ridden under these conditions. The other
>reason is that there is a time imperative in taking the bike to work, because I have to _get_ to
>work at a reasonable hour, so that involves rushing, which adds another level of panic.

I think that is a good decision, and well stated.

I find it very difficult to ride in snow, icing conditions, and so forth in urban traffic, but it
can be done.

This is not an impossible goal for you, you have demonstrated a degree of courage that is exemplary.

The only suggestion I could venture is that I have found that in sports it's important not to
over analyze.

By this I mean that training and skill development are important, but it basically comes
down to will.

You want to win. If you didn't want that you wouldn't be here.

Elisa Francesca Roselli, you have the determination and will to become anything you like. If riding
a bicycle with skill and confidence is one of your personal objectives you are going to have to
accept the inevitable pain and sacrifice.

You are having a crisis of confidence.

You haven't moved much in skill level for a long time. You need to get over it and ride, if you are
not ready for this then that is fine.

But don't reiterate. You're here to be a winner, remember?

>On the weekend, I won't need to get anywhere within a specific time-frame, so I can practise slowly
>and then perhaps redo my very first route, to the local supermarket along flat bike-paths.

It is said that everyone wants to return to the womb. In my opinion you need a good dose of WTF,
IMHO your progress is unsatisfactory.

--

_______________________ALL AMIGA IN MY MIND_______________________ ------------------"Buddy Holly,
the Texas Elvis"------------------
__________306.350.357.38>>[email protected]__________

 

[Elisa Francesca]

I just wanted to say that yesterday after work I had a spin on both bikes in the safety of my
underground parking. I spent about half an hour back-and-forthing and cycling down and up the ramps.
I tried to loosen the brakes on Myrtille with that little screw-like thing that tightens the brake-
strings, or whatever their called, into the handlebars. Don't know if I've succeeded or over-
succeeded and won't know until I take her out again.

This morning I am well and truly off the hook because of ice-bound road conditions that require
extra caution even for walking. But I consider that I'm back in the saddle and rolling.

Thanks to everyone on this thread for the very kind help and support and hand-holding. I feel, if
anything, a bit molly-coddled, but the gentleness has made a difference.

EFR In crunchy-slidey-underfoot Ile de France

 

[Doug Purdy]

"Elisa Francesca Roselli"
<[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> I just wanted to say that yesterday after work I had a spin on
both bikes
> in the safety of my underground parking. I spent about half an
hour
> back-and-forthing and cycling down and up the ramps. I tried to
loosen the
> brakes on Myrtille with that little screw-like thing that
tightens the
> brake-strings, or whatever their called, into the handlebars.
Don't know if
> I've succeeded or over-succeeded and won't know until I take her
out again.

That sounds like the barrel adjuster. It's for fine tuning the brakes or taking up some slack as new
cables stretch and loosen.

Mtb brakes are supposed to come on instantly. There's supposed to be little clearance. They are also
made to operate with one or 2 fingers only. The other fingers are supposedto be grasping the
handlebar to keep the offroad bumps from knocking the bar out of your hands.

Using a good set of these brakes on the road gives most riders more stopping power than they need.
It sounds like the same goes for you too. Rather than changing the adjustment of the brakes I'd
recommend you try the one finger on the brakes to stop. Well adjusted brakes are going to work
predictably and that's what you want when you gain experience with them.

It's always hard to avoid clamping hard on the brakes when startled. Many people have gone over the
handlebars from grabbing not just mtb but any type of bicycle brakes too hard when surprised.

Good to hear you're working at it. Keep upthe good work!

Doug For email, a sense of wonder.

 

[Rick Onanian]

On Wed, 28 Jan 2004 18:46:12 -0800, [email protected] (Tom Keats)
wrote:
>I guess the Off[tm] season is when we've gotta spray insect repellent on us.

I may have been unhappy when that season was in full swing and I was getting eaten alive, but right
now I'm not sure I'd mind having an Off[tm] season.
--
Rick Onanian