When I set out for my first outdoor ride back in May, I had little to no expectations. For all I cared, I could’ve toppled over right then and there and I would’ve gone back home to my comfort zone: riding my bike on the indoor trainer. But I didn’t fall over after the first pedal stroke, or the next one, or the next. Instead, I was cruising down the bike path enjoying the light breeze.

I previously shied away from riding outdoors because I was never formally taught how to ride a bike as a young girl, although many people tried to teach me… and failed. I was eventually labeled unteachable, and it wasn’t until I decided to take matters into my own hands that I learned how to ride. Since then, though, I’ve been self conscious about cycling beyond the four walls of my house—especially gaining speed on the roads.

I realised I had a fear of riding fast

So even though I enjoyed that May ride, soon after, my intrusive thoughts started to settle in, telling me I was going too fast and losing control. I thought to myself: There’s no way I could actually reach the speeds I hit on my indoor trainer while riding outdoors. I realised I had a fear of riding fast and I needed to conquer it to build my confidence on the bike.

Riding too fast is a fear that even limits some of the most advanced riders, says Ryan Thomas, head coach at Road Cycling Academy. For example, “there’s a classic video of Thomas Pidcock going down one of the descents [during the Tour de France] and he is overtaking a lot of riders. The only thing that’s different there is he doesn’t have any fear,” Thomas says. Meanwhile, I clenched up just watching him.

Although my chances of becoming a skillful professional road cyclist, such as Pidcock, are obviously very slim, with these tips I was able to unlock a more fearless mindset and catch faster speeds—and you can too.

8 Tips for Conquering Your Fear of Riding Fast

1. Develop Control

“You need to realise that fear is just negative thinking. It’s not real,” says Jakub Novak, cycling coach at Pro Cycling Coaching, who recommends you overcome your fears by riding more and dedicating at least one day a week to improve your technical skills.

One skill you can start with: Cornering and doing it at a speed that feels comfortable.

To get better at cornering, keep a few of Novak’s tips in mind, which apply no matter how fast or slow you’re going:

• Turn wide, cut the corner at the apex, and then go wide again (but stay on your side of the road)
• Keep your inside pedal up and outside pedal down
• Use both brakes at the same time and apply slightly more force on the rear brake
• Transfer your weight to the back of the bike so you can decrease your chances of falling over the front wheel

You can also add riding single-handed, with no hands, and track stands (a more advanced skill) to your to-do list if you really want to gain confidence in bike handling. Just make sure you feel comfortable riding at slower speeds and maneuvering the bike before you take your hands off, says Thomas.

You can also practice riding in between zig-zagged cones positioned a few feet apart, Thomas suggests. “Seems simple, but when done right and with progressions—tighter corners and more speed—it can be a really effective way of fine-tuning those balance and cornering skills,” he explains.

2. Re-Adjust and Relax

In general, you want to make sure you’re riding relaxed and positioned on the bike correctly—no matter what speed you’re riding. That means head up, elbows bent, legs relaxed, holding the handlebars with a firm yet relaxed grip with your fingers on the brakes.

“You always want to have your fingers on the brakes, especially when you’re going fast because crashing can happen at any time. It doesn’t matter what speed you’re going and often the small [crashes] are worse,” says Thomas. If you have your fingers on the brakes, as opposed to riding with your hands on the hoods, you’ll be able to react faster if need be.

If you tend to grip the handlebars really tight when riding downhill, try doing the opposite, especially while mountain biking. Keep your upper body and grip relaxed to allow the bike to maneuver more freely, as opposed to tightly gripping the handlebar which can slow you down or even stop the bike, Thomas explains.

3. Shift Your Weight

Often, the fear of riding fast can cause you to tense up and lead to you place more of your weight on your front wheel. But when you’re kicking up speed, you actually want to shift your weight to the back of the bike for more control in case you have to react quickly to something that comes up on the road, says Thomas.

Also, shifting your weight allows for more control over the bike as you pick up speed because if you put too much weight on the front wheel it can get wobbly, he adds.

4. Look in Front of You, Not Down

If you’re afraid of riding fast, you might be tempted to look down at your bike computer to check your speed, but keep looking ahead (that holds true for any speed you’re riding).

If you’re looking down, you’re not seeing the whole picture, like a corner coming up or cars approaching, Thomas says.

5. Improve Your Cadence

Low and high cadence drills can help you build the strength and confidence you need to go faster on the bike. These drills help improve your mind-body connection by bringing your focus to your pedal stroke so you better understand what it takes for you to cycle faster versus slower.

Novak recommends this drill for beginners:

• Warmup: 15-20 minutes at an easy pace
• 10 minutes: targeting 55-65 rpm (low cadence)
• 10 minutes: targeting 100-110 rpm (high cadence)
• Cooldown: 15-20 minutes at an easy pace

6. Slowly Improve Your FTP

The best workouts for improving your functional threshold power, a.k.a, your FTP, are the ones practiced at or above your threshold which is 84 to 94 percent of your maximum heart rate or 91 to 105 percent of your FTP, says Novak.

You can practice these workouts on flats or hills and they can help you build strength and speed, Novak says:

• Start with a 5-minute hill in your area
• Climb it 3-4 times at 90% of your max heart rate or 7-8 out of 10 on a rate of perceived exertion (RPE) scale
• Approach the downhill at a comfortable speed and make sure you stay on your side of the road
• Repeat and pick up speed slowly until you feel more and more comfortable

7. Go for a Long Ride

The more you ride, the more comfortable you’ll get and the faster you’ll become. This is why Novak recommends riders dedicate at least one day a week to ride at a comfortable and steady pace for one to three hours.

A long ride can help you build endurance and improve your overall fitness by enhancing your aerobic capacity and improving muscle efficiency, Novak adds. This helps you improve your fitness so you have the power to go faster, too.

8. Join a Group Ride

Riding fast in a group may sound intimidating, but making room for a group ride on your weekly schedule gives you the opportunity to follow others through higher speeds and have someone to follow to improve cornering, Novak says. The key is finding a group that has a similar fitness level as you so you feel comfortable keeping up with everyone.

9. Shift Your Focus

If you want to conquer your fear of riding fast, then you need to work on shifting your mindset, especially in the moment. Instead of thinking about how fast you’re riding, focus on your technique. For me, this meant focusing on things like stopping as I approached a traffic light or switching gears when approaching hills.

You can also focus on your breathing to help calm your nerves. Novak suggests box breathing in particular: Inhale for four seconds, hold for four seconds, exhale for four more seconds, and then hold again for four seconds. Try this technique on a flat road.

Lastly, don’t underestimate the power of positive affirmations or mantras like “I’m capable” or “I can do this,” as a little positive self-talk can go a long way, according in a study published in Clinical Psychological Science. The study included 135 participants and examined how they reacted to compassionate and critical self-talk recordings. Researchers found participants who listened to compassionate self-talk recordings had more energy, lower heart rate, and lower sweat rate. This indicates positive self-talk can help you remain calm in the moment, which can help you conquer your fear of riding fast. It works for me.Rela

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