Regaining confidence on wet roads after a fall?
Discussion
Well to say i've lost confidence on wet roads is an understatement.
I commute into central London from Islington and what with all the manhole covers and pot holes and cobbles in Soho, i'm like a nervous nelly on anything now that isn't a bone dry road.
I'm sure I get overtaken by old grannies on shopping bikes.
I had two offs in January on country lanes in Essex at stupid low speeds on black ice that obviously has completely shaken me.
I was off the bike for 2 weeks with bruises and pain in my shoulder and hip.
So any ideas as to how to get back the confidence? I fear it's actually getting worse.
I've ridden for over 25 years and have never had this before, maybe it's an age thing and feeling more fragile and less gung ho so to speak?
I used to ride with no fear of anything in all weathers, this is a first for me.
I commute into central London from Islington and what with all the manhole covers and pot holes and cobbles in Soho, i'm like a nervous nelly on anything now that isn't a bone dry road.
I'm sure I get overtaken by old grannies on shopping bikes.
I had two offs in January on country lanes in Essex at stupid low speeds on black ice that obviously has completely shaken me.
I was off the bike for 2 weeks with bruises and pain in my shoulder and hip.
So any ideas as to how to get back the confidence? I fear it's actually getting worse.
I've ridden for over 25 years and have never had this before, maybe it's an age thing and feeling more fragile and less gung ho so to speak?
I used to ride with no fear of anything in all weathers, this is a first for me.
What tyres were you on?
Is this a road bike?
Does the bike adequately fit?
Switching the tyres on my roadie helped immensely with a tricky downhill I did through the winter. I swapped from cheap standard fit ones to 25C Four Seasons, 28c would have been even more confidence inspiring.
Thought about switching to an MTB with slicks for a bit, wet is no issue then
Make sure the bike fits, so your weight is is in the right places and arms are not overstretched etc
Is this a road bike?
Does the bike adequately fit?
Switching the tyres on my roadie helped immensely with a tricky downhill I did through the winter. I swapped from cheap standard fit ones to 25C Four Seasons, 28c would have been even more confidence inspiring.
Thought about switching to an MTB with slicks for a bit, wet is no issue then
Make sure the bike fits, so your weight is is in the right places and arms are not overstretched etc
bigtomski said:
Well to say i've lost confidence on wet roads is an understatement.
I commute into central London from Islington and what with all the manhole covers and pot holes and cobbles in Soho, i'm like a nervous nelly on anything now that isn't a bone dry road.
I'm sure I get overtaken by old grannies on shopping bikes.
I had two offs in January on country lanes in Essex at stupid low speeds on black ice that obviously has completely shaken me.
I was off the bike for 2 weeks with bruises and pain in my shoulder and hip.
So any ideas as to how to get back the confidence? I fear it's actually getting worse.
I've ridden for over 25 years and have never had this before, maybe it's an age thing and feeling more fragile and less gung ho so to speak?
I used to ride with no fear of anything in all weathers, this is a first for me.
My sympathies. FWIW, I think caution is a natural by-product of aging. Plus you learn that you don't heal so quickly, and so the incentive to not fall is a lot greater. In a different context, I used to love descending on my roadie when I was younger. A couple of lock ups, and a bike that had death wobble saw that off though: now all I end up focussing on when I descend is how much skin I'd lose in an "off". I commute into central London from Islington and what with all the manhole covers and pot holes and cobbles in Soho, i'm like a nervous nelly on anything now that isn't a bone dry road.
I'm sure I get overtaken by old grannies on shopping bikes.
I had two offs in January on country lanes in Essex at stupid low speeds on black ice that obviously has completely shaken me.
I was off the bike for 2 weeks with bruises and pain in my shoulder and hip.
So any ideas as to how to get back the confidence? I fear it's actually getting worse.
I've ridden for over 25 years and have never had this before, maybe it's an age thing and feeling more fragile and less gung ho so to speak?
I used to ride with no fear of anything in all weathers, this is a first for me.
As for getting your confidence back, I think the only real way is mileage in the wet, trying to ride normally. The longer you can ride without the fear at the forefront of your mind, the more the fear will recede and you'll start to enjoy it again.
That said, you should also probably recognise that the only time you'll ever be able to say "I won't be falling off again" is the day you decide never to ride again.
TwistingMyMelon said:
Thought about switching to an MTB with slicks for a bit, wet is no issue then
I had exactly the same problem, so I applied this in liberal quantities and now I'm fine:
Seriously though... I had an off going round a corner at 15mph where the bike just flew out from under me. It did take a few months before I didn't s
t myself on every corner.
Seriously though... I had an off going round a corner at 15mph where the bike just flew out from under me. It did take a few months before I didn't s
t myself on every corner.Edited by BMWBen on Thursday 27th March 16:16
bigtomski said:
Well to say i've lost confidence on wet roads is an understatement.
I commute into central London from Islington and what with all the manhole covers and pot holes and cobbles in Soho, i'm like a nervous nelly on anything now that isn't a bone dry road.
I'm sure I get overtaken by old grannies on shopping bikes.
I had two offs in January on country lanes in Essex at stupid low speeds on black ice that obviously has completely shaken me.
I was off the bike for 2 weeks with bruises and pain in my shoulder and hip.
So any ideas as to how to get back the confidence? I fear it's actually getting worse.
I've ridden for over 25 years and have never had this before, maybe it's an age thing and feeling more fragile and less gung ho so to speak?
I used to ride with no fear of anything in all weathers, this is a first for me.
I think it's just about being able to feel what your tires are doing and knowing when to back off. I've had an occasional spill in the winter with ice on the road. I commute into central London from Islington and what with all the manhole covers and pot holes and cobbles in Soho, i'm like a nervous nelly on anything now that isn't a bone dry road.
I'm sure I get overtaken by old grannies on shopping bikes.
I had two offs in January on country lanes in Essex at stupid low speeds on black ice that obviously has completely shaken me.
I was off the bike for 2 weeks with bruises and pain in my shoulder and hip.
So any ideas as to how to get back the confidence? I fear it's actually getting worse.
I've ridden for over 25 years and have never had this before, maybe it's an age thing and feeling more fragile and less gung ho so to speak?
I used to ride with no fear of anything in all weathers, this is a first for me.
Thanks for your replies, I knew i'd get a bit of HTFU and maybe I just need to.
I ride my trusty Condor Fratello that I've been fitted for and with Gatorksin 25c tyres.
Maybe the confidence will come back in time but it feels like i'm getting even more nervous, not better.
The tyres are fine and i've never had any slip in wet conditions but maybe if I change them something psychological might come of that, dunno.
I'm sure a lot of it is age related and hopefully the more I just ride and get on with it, it'll fade in time.
I hope so!
I ride my trusty Condor Fratello that I've been fitted for and with Gatorksin 25c tyres.
Maybe the confidence will come back in time but it feels like i'm getting even more nervous, not better.
The tyres are fine and i've never had any slip in wet conditions but maybe if I change them something psychological might come of that, dunno.
I'm sure a lot of it is age related and hopefully the more I just ride and get on with it, it'll fade in time.
I hope so!
I can relate to this as I came off mid corner at high speed in late autumn. I used to be gung-ho but am now gok wan when it comes to corners, even on my motorbike.
I think it's a bad time of year to try and address the problem. Wait for dry and warm Tarmac and get the summer tyres back on and you and I will be fine I think.
I think it's a bad time of year to try and address the problem. Wait for dry and warm Tarmac and get the summer tyres back on and you and I will be fine I think.
scherzkeks said:
I think it's just about being able to feel what your tires are doing and knowing when to back off. I've had an occasional spill in the winter with ice on the road.
Basically, this. You came off on ice, that's a complete lottery, ice being likely is about the only time I'll leave the bike at home. For me, that should have no bearing on wet roads, 'cos wet roads have grip, ice does not. That said, I'm generally a gung ho nutter.bigtomski said:
Thanks for your replies, I knew i'd get a bit of HTFU and maybe I just need to.
I ride my trusty Condor Fratello that I've been fitted for and with Gatorksin 25c tyres.
Maybe the confidence will come back in time but it feels like i'm getting even more nervous, not better.
The tyres are fine and i've never had any slip in wet conditions but maybe if I change them something psychological might come of that, dunno.
I'm sure a lot of it is age related and hopefully the more I just ride and get on with it, it'll fade in time.
I hope so!
Gatorskins are really good in the wet and cold. I bought 25s in them as winter tyres for that reason. That said they won't stop you slipping on wet manholes or even white painted lines. I've had one sketchy moment on them going around a corner fairly quick and then having to brake for a zombie pedestrian. You just have to slowly get your confidence back, having a little bit of fear and trepidation can be a good thing. Overconfidence, especially where other road users are concerned, will get you hurt quicker than anything else.I ride my trusty Condor Fratello that I've been fitted for and with Gatorksin 25c tyres.
Maybe the confidence will come back in time but it feels like i'm getting even more nervous, not better.
The tyres are fine and i've never had any slip in wet conditions but maybe if I change them something psychological might come of that, dunno.
I'm sure a lot of it is age related and hopefully the more I just ride and get on with it, it'll fade in time.
I hope so!
When I was 19 a a car that was waiting to turn right into a side road suddenly pulled across in front of me and I smashed my head on her car and then the road, I wasn't knocked out so felt everything and quickly created a massive pool of blood in the road. That was 16 years ago and I still can't breathe through my nose properly. To this day I will not trust anyone not to pull out in front of me, open their door on me or generally try and kill me in any way that they can. It doesn't slow me down, it just makes me super observant. I also stay well away from the insides of lorries and buses.
MiseryStreak said:
bigtomski said:
Thanks for your replies, I knew i'd get a bit of HTFU and maybe I just need to.
I ride my trusty Condor Fratello that I've been fitted for and with Gatorksin 25c tyres.
Maybe the confidence will come back in time but it feels like i'm getting even more nervous, not better.
The tyres are fine and i've never had any slip in wet conditions but maybe if I change them something psychological might come of that, dunno.
I'm sure a lot of it is age related and hopefully the more I just ride and get on with it, it'll fade in time.
I hope so!
Gatorskins are really good in the wet and cold. I bought 25s in them as winter tyres for that reason. That said they won't stop you slipping on wet manholes or even white painted lines. I've had one sketchy moment on them going around a corner fairly quick and then having to brake for a zombie pedestrian. You just have to slowly get your confidence back, having a little bit of fear and trepidation can be a good thing. Overconfidence, especially where other road users are concerned, will get you hurt quicker than anything else.I ride my trusty Condor Fratello that I've been fitted for and with Gatorksin 25c tyres.
Maybe the confidence will come back in time but it feels like i'm getting even more nervous, not better.
The tyres are fine and i've never had any slip in wet conditions but maybe if I change them something psychological might come of that, dunno.
I'm sure a lot of it is age related and hopefully the more I just ride and get on with it, it'll fade in time.
I hope so!
When I was 19 a a car that was waiting to turn right into a side road suddenly pulled across in front of me and I smashed my head on her car and then the road, I wasn't knocked out so felt everything and quickly created a massive pool of blood in the road. That was 16 years ago and I still can't breathe through my nose properly. To this day I will not trust anyone not to pull out in front of me, open their door on me or generally try and kill me in any way that they can. It doesn't slow me down, it just makes me super observant. I also stay well away from the insides of lorries and buses.
I totally agree with 'il sole' on this.
Exactly the same experience, running 23c GatorSkins, finding them very poor, too hard a compound to be of much use in the wet and cold, then switching to 25c Grand Prix 4Seasons and finding them more compliant, more grippy, and no less resistant to punctures in my experience. I used them all through last summer too, as I couldn't be bothered to re-fit my "summer" tyres.
Exactly the same experience, running 23c GatorSkins, finding them very poor, too hard a compound to be of much use in the wet and cold, then switching to 25c Grand Prix 4Seasons and finding them more compliant, more grippy, and no less resistant to punctures in my experience. I used them all through last summer too, as I couldn't be bothered to re-fit my "summer" tyres.
il sole said:
MiseryStreak said:
bigtomski said:
Thanks for your replies, I knew i'd get a bit of HTFU and maybe I just need to.
I ride my trusty Condor Fratello that I've been fitted for and with Gatorksin 25c tyres.
Maybe the confidence will come back in time but it feels like i'm getting even more nervous, not better.
The tyres are fine and i've never had any slip in wet conditions but maybe if I change them something psychological might come of that, dunno.
I'm sure a lot of it is age related and hopefully the more I just ride and get on with it, it'll fade in time.
I hope so!
Gatorskins are really good in the wet and cold. I bought 25s in them as winter tyres for that reason. That said they won't stop you slipping on wet manholes or even white painted lines. I've had one sketchy moment on them going around a corner fairly quick and then having to brake for a zombie pedestrian. You just have to slowly get your confidence back, having a little bit of fear and trepidation can be a good thing. Overconfidence, especially where other road users are concerned, will get you hurt quicker than anything else.I ride my trusty Condor Fratello that I've been fitted for and with Gatorksin 25c tyres.
Maybe the confidence will come back in time but it feels like i'm getting even more nervous, not better.
The tyres are fine and i've never had any slip in wet conditions but maybe if I change them something psychological might come of that, dunno.
I'm sure a lot of it is age related and hopefully the more I just ride and get on with it, it'll fade in time.
I hope so!
When I was 19 a a car that was waiting to turn right into a side road suddenly pulled across in front of me and I smashed my head on her car and then the road, I wasn't knocked out so felt everything and quickly created a massive pool of blood in the road. That was 16 years ago and I still can't breathe through my nose properly. To this day I will not trust anyone not to pull out in front of me, open their door on me or generally try and kill me in any way that they can. It doesn't slow me down, it just makes me super observant. I also stay well away from the insides of lorries and buses.
t, but I found them completely uninspiring and part lethal on manhole covers and wet roundabouts.I have run a variety of tyres since on several road bikes and all felt better than the gatorskins, especially the Conti 4 seasons I have now, ironic as they look very similar to gatorskins and are made by the same company.
Personally I would look at changing tyres and going up to 28c if it bothers you that much, IMO I didn't find wet weather riding in London scary at all, it was all the traffic/hazards/pedestrians that scared me, the surfaces were fine
OK, this is not what I found but I came from Schwalbe Lugano 23c's with absolutely no tread when I changed them to Gatorskin 25c's, so the difference was huge. Most of that may be down the lower pressures you can run 25c's at, but the compound also seems softer at colder temperatures. They are certainly marketed as a winter tyre.
From Conti's website:
The UK's favourite training tyre
A durable, fast yet tough tyre at a really nice price. The Duraskin® external mesh forms a protective sheild over the entire casing to help prevent cuts, puntures and abrasions. The slick German made natural rubber tread is designed to perform well in wet/wintery conditions.
Intended for high mileage winter training for serious cyclists in a host of sizes including 700c, 27 x 1 1/4, MTB & 650c.
http://www.conti-tyres.co.uk/conticycle/ti%20ultra...
From Conti's website:
The UK's favourite training tyre
A durable, fast yet tough tyre at a really nice price. The Duraskin® external mesh forms a protective sheild over the entire casing to help prevent cuts, puntures and abrasions. The slick German made natural rubber tread is designed to perform well in wet/wintery conditions.
Intended for high mileage winter training for serious cyclists in a host of sizes including 700c, 27 x 1 1/4, MTB & 650c.
http://www.conti-tyres.co.uk/conticycle/ti%20ultra...
MiseryStreak said:
OK, this is not what I found but I came from Schwalbe Lugano 23c's with absolutely no tread when I changed them to Gatorskin 25c's, so the difference was huge. Most of that may be down the lower pressures you can run 25c's at, but the compound also seems softer at colder temperatures. They are certainly marketed as a winter tyre.
From Conti's website:
The UK's favourite training tyre
A durable, fast yet tough tyre at a really nice price. The Duraskin® external mesh forms a protective sheild over the entire casing to help prevent cuts, punctures and abrasions. The slick German made natural rubber tread is designed to perform well in wet/wintery conditions.
Intended for high mileage winter training for serious cyclists in a host of sizes including 700c, 27 x 1 1/4, MTB & 650c.
http://www.conti-tyres.co.uk/conticycle/ti%20ultra...
If they work for you, on your route and bike, then great, stick with them.From Conti's website:
The UK's favourite training tyre
A durable, fast yet tough tyre at a really nice price. The Duraskin® external mesh forms a protective sheild over the entire casing to help prevent cuts, punctures and abrasions. The slick German made natural rubber tread is designed to perform well in wet/wintery conditions.
Intended for high mileage winter training for serious cyclists in a host of sizes including 700c, 27 x 1 1/4, MTB & 650c.
http://www.conti-tyres.co.uk/conticycle/ti%20ultra...
I'm not knocking them as a tyre as they did the job and I never got any punctures, they were fine in the dry.
I just found them really sketchy in the wet, on a flat urban commute where there should of been adequate grip, which is what the OP is suffering with.
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