Riding a bicycle can be both a hobby and our main means of transport in urban areas. In many cities it can be said with confidence that the bicycle has a higher profile than the car, either because of a lack of resources and infrastructure for larger vehicles, or because of an awareness of the importance of polluting as little as possible.

However, not everyone is able to enjoy using this useful tool to get around. The fear of riding a bicycle is, for some, an obstacle that prevents progress in the task of learning to master it and maintaining balance for long enough.

In this article we will review several tips on how to overcome the fear of cycling, step by step and with some examples.

Overcoming the Fear of Riding a Bike

If you want to make progress in learning to ride a bike, or if you would simply like to lose your fear of the bike and get back on it as you used to , follow these tips.

1. Set simple, realistic goals

This is very important not to get frustrated. The possibility of setting ourselves rather modest and relatively easy to achieve goals makes us more eager to make progress, since that way we know that we can obtain a sense of victory almost immediately, or in a matter of minutes .

On the other hand, if we only set the final goal, we will see it as unattainable, and at best we will progress more slowly, while at worst we will give up.

So the idea is to divide our main objective into several sub-objectives, so that in each practice session we can notice that we improve, even if only a little.

2. Use protection

Wearing a helmet, knee pads and fingerless gloves (to improve grip on the handlebars) not only offers the obvious advantage of decreasing our chances of getting hurt . It also has a powerful psychological effect.

If we feel that we have the “physical” part of the problem covered, so that it is very difficult to get hurt, we can concentrate more on what is important. That is, our focus of attention will not be so divided into different things that worry us, and this is very advantageous when it comes to losing the fear of riding a bike.

3. Assume it will be your turn to fall sometime

It’s important to play down the idea of falling, something that can happen sooner or later. However, the bike is designed in such a way that if you do not ride at a high speed and do not ride over rough ground, it is difficult to get injured .

Following the advice we will see, the most frequent accidents of this type will have to do with the possibility of feeling some pain when stepping badly, on the floor to get off, or falling and scratching your forearms a little (which will surely not be important if you have the proper protections).

So, unless you are going very fast or riding in unsafe areas, you should be aware that most of the doomsday thoughts you may have because of fear of riding are very unrealistic, a poor description of how reality works.

4. Find someone to join us

Having someone to help us by being around is very helpful. Not only can he help us in situations where we are about to fall because of a loss of balance, but his presence also reassures us, and he can take care of carrying things that we don’t need when we practice and that would hinder our progress .

5. Look for soft soil, but not too soft

For obvious reasons, it is good to choose flat surfaces that are rather soft. However, you should bear in mind that it is better to avoid areas of grass, however short they may be, as this can destabilise the bike due to the uneven parts that are hidden on its surface , and the poor adhesion to the wheels that it offers, on the other hand.

So, areas of land are ideal, as long as they are not made up of sharp little stones big enough to cause you major scratches.

6. Avoid areas with physical or visual obstacles

When it is time to lose the fear of the bicycle and start getting used to using it, many people focus on choosing places to practice that do not have obstacles capable of blocking the wheels.

However, visual barriers are also very relevant . If you practice in a place free of the latter, this will allow you to concentrate more happily, and the fear of getting hurt will be mitigated, as well as reducing the chances of having accidents.

7. Looking at a fixed point

This is one of the most important pieces of advice. If we don’t, we run the risk of entering a state of anxiety by not knowing where to look due to the possible risks of falling, which is significant, because when riding a bicycle, the look is very important and the head is one of the few parts of the body that we can move from almost its entire range of motion.