MTB: 9 Ways to overcome and use fear to your advantage.
Mountain biking can be anything from a really fun experience to outright terrifying, depending on your skills, experiences, and perspective.
Of course, skill is the number one factor in overcoming fear.
Imagine my students who race World Cup downhills and EWS races like National Champions Luca Cometti, Mitch Ropelato and Jackie Harmony riding your local trails.
I doubt they would be scared of that section that scares you on your local trail (as World Cup Tracks are gnarly!).They have worked hard on ingraining the correct riding techniques so they are riding in balance and in control consistently.
So while they may have less “nerve” than you, they have great skill.
Here are 9 ways to overcome fear with the skill you currently possess and ways to use that fear
1. Go at your own pace and take “baby steps” when progressing.
Taking a big leap over your comfort zone is not a good way to learn. Have you ever been goaded into doing something that you felt was way above your skill level? Even if you make it you often don’t feel like you have gotten better, you feel like you got lucky. Feeling, “Wow, that was scary!” does not improve your confidence.
If you don’t make it, the crash will often set you back, decreasing your confidence and raising your level of fear.
So be gentle with yourself and progress at a pace that is comfortable to you.
Me riding the Portal trail in Moab.
2. Focus on what you WANT to do, not what you DON’T WANT to do.
This sounds simple but pays off big. Our brains don’t understand “not” and “don’t” very well. If you are focusing on not falling your brain has to focus on the concept of falling and then quickly try to refocus on “not” doing what you are thinking about.
It is much easier to focus on “getting to that tree” or “ride this section smooth and light” than telling yourself “don’t fall”.
3. Use your fear, it can be good!
Listen to the fear, maybe it is trying to save you from a trip to the emergency room. Live to ride another day! If you are more focused on “not falling” than you are on getting to where you are going, get off your bike and walk that section. Who knows, you might go right through it the next time when you are more warmed up and/or focused.
After/while walking that section figure out what about that section is scaring you then “baby step” your way up to doing it.
Example: If a four-foot drop on an exposed trail is scaring you, find a one-foot drop with no exposure, get really good a hitting that, work your way up to a four-foot drop with no exposure, then an exposed trail with a one-foot drop working all the way to a four-foot drop on an exposed trail. This builds on a series of successes, increasing your confidence!
4. Breathe, relax, breathe, and smile – it is just a bike ride.
Breathing and smiling releases tension which improves our balance, coordination, and confidence. I mean deep, belly breathes from your diaphragm which is very calming. Smiling releases endorphins that relax you. The simple act of lifting the corners of your mouth, even if it is a grimace will release those endorphins and relax you.
5. As you improve, make sure you update your self-concept to match.
Remember that the past doesn’t equal the future. You may have wrecked or not made a section last week/month but if your skills have improved since then the section may be easier for you now.
6. Wear knee pads and elbow pads when practicing a tough section are learning a new skill.
I have found that having padding on, really increases your confidence when learning or trying to push your limits. As a matter of fact, I never ride without knee pads anymore, knees are too valuable and easily damaged.
7. Debunk your fear/s.
Is your fear realistic? Often fear is not based in reality and when we realize this the fear goes away.
8. Learn from your mistakes.
If you mess up or wreck do your best to figure out why it happened and correct that mistake or improve your technique so it will not happen again.
9. Use that fear to motivate you to improve.
You know just riding your bike doesn’t improve your skill. Practicing the correct, in balance, in control techniques with a focus on quality is the ONLY way to improve your skill. So spend more time practicing deliberately using drills and boost your skill level and confidence.
Let me know about your fear.
How is this affecting your riding?
Is it a good amount of fear?
Or is your fear holding you back?
Please share this article with anyone you think may benefit and feel free to call or e-mail with any questions.
Thanks and create your best ride yet,
Gene
MTB: 9 Ways to Overcome and Use Fear To Your Advantage
Thank you for the article. I would say my greatest fear is to fall on loose ground on a downhill.
Kind regards,
A.K (South Africa)