I've been struggling with anxiety for most of my adult life. When I was 20 I got my first motorcycle, and I remember being so, so excited to ride it. The first time I dropped it shattered my confidence, to the point that anytime I thought about riding, I couldn't get over the fear and negative thoughts and rarely took it out. It's been years now since I've been on my bike, and honestly I do miss it dearly. A rider friend of mine has been encouraging me to get back on, and there's a huge part of me that has been wanting to, but I always let the fear rule out. Thank you so much for this video. I always thought there was something wrong with the way I was feeling, and you hit the nail on the head with every point - the idea of shame, the concern about attention, or caring too much. This all resonated so deeply with me, and really did make me feel a lot better about trying to ride again.
So, first. There is nothing wrong with you! Second, doing these videos can be hard. The criticisms, the just-to-be-mean, troll-comments that insult me for how I look or whatever. On Sunday I was so discouraged that I was saying to myself that this would be my last video. I go through this with almost every video I make. I really do. And then I read your comment this morning.... Words escape me, but you encouraged me and reminded me why I do this. So, sincerely, thank you! You certainly are not required to ride a motorcycle, but I think you can do it. If (when) you do, let me know when you succeed. 👊
Hey sash. I totally get that feeling. I've been riding for 35 years and have had a number of serious mishaps. When the first incident happened (t-boned a car at the age of 21) I knew I had to get riding again as soon as I was fit enough. I was lucky to have friends who knew this and long before my own bike was fixed and rideable, they all offered their own rides for me to put some tarmac under me. This stopped me from getting into the rut that you find yourself in. Fast forward to the beginning of 2022 and I too found myself in the rut. I've been riding superbikes for the last 18 years and for the last 5 years, I've been in that anxiety state. I've got a Fireblade and I've done less than 200 miles in that 5 year period. I just talked myself out of riding it. Fear was keeping it in the garage. I didn't want to sell it, because that would be too upsetting, so I did the next best thing. I bought a small 200cc bike, to see if I could fall in love with riding again, without the fear. It worked. I actually started enjoying the roads again. Couldn't keep me off it. I did find that it lacked a little power, so I did then buy a slightly bigger one, but the bigger one is perfect. I've ridden almost 1000 miles in the last 2 months and my confidence as a rider is flooding back. Enough that I might be able to bring the Fireblade out of the garage and enjoy it again too. Don't give up. You can find that feeling again. I may have taken an odd route to it, but it shows it's possible. Good luck.
@@CanyonChasers There are times when I second guess posting comments online due to the negativity you mentioned, but your video was so genuine and seemed to stem from a true place of understanding and compassion that I wanted to let you know how much I appreciated it. I never expected my comment would have that kind of impact in return, but I'm glad it did. You have to do what's right for you (and your mental health), but I hope you take to heart that there are people out there that are thankful for the lessons we've learned because you were willing to put yourself out there. And thank you for the vote of confidence! My motorcycle has been on my mind more and more lately, and the itch to fix it up and get back out there is getting pretty strong. I'll let you know if I do get back in the saddle, because your video will have certainly played a part if I do!
@@Froobyone Thank you so much for sharing this. I'd often look at people that ride and think they must simply have no fear. So knowing that even someone that has been riding as long as you can experience that (and find ways to overcome it) is incredibly reassuring. I remember when I took the MSF course they gave me a little Honda Grom to ride. I'm a short person, and that bike fit me like a glove. I was so confident on it I would have ridden it home if they had let me haha. And then when I got home to my bike it just felt so... big in comparison (even though a 250 Ninja isn't "big", for a 5"4 female as my first bike, it's still felt that way). Maybe I do need to start a bit smaller on something I'd be more comfortable on, rather than trying to tell myself I can handle the Ninja because it's such a common starter bike. Thank you for reminding me of that feeling - it was really nice to feel so confident on that bike. Maybe that'll be the place to start.
@@sashasally Thank you for your reply. I am rooting for you getting your confidence and love of riding back. Fear can be conquered. Once you understand that fear comes from the primal part of our brains. It just wants to protect us, but it doesn't make decisions based on logic, it makes them based on emotion. Unfortunately, the emotional part of our brain is more powerful than the logical part and often overrides it. It helps to recognise when it's happening, but it takes practice. There's a fabulous book called The Chimp Paradox that explains it much more eloquently than I can and its teachings can be applied to all walks of life, including riding. I really hope you can conquer the "chimp" and feel the wind on you again soon. I think it would be bad form to ask you to keep me posted on someone else's video, but if you feel inclined, drop me a message on one of my bike vids. Take care and good luck.
Incorrect my Polynesian Sha Sha, you were told to fear by Anti Drug MADD or RADD Milita. These people were planning to take your money away from you...
I assess risk and my abilities differently to when I was younger - when young in some things (surfing, driving, sailboarding) I did things then I would not do now, but would not do other things then that I would now do (skiiing and cycling). I think I am more mindful and informed about how I look at a high risk situation. As a recent (6 years) motorcyclist riding a seriously quick bike that is way better than my skills, and being in that 50+ age bracket with a lot of driving experience and a history of high risk high energy sports, I need to avoid over-confidence and be thoughtful in how I ride my machine. i have learnt (painfully) the consequences of a crash at 30kph on a MTB, and not hard to see how a crash at 2 or 3 or 4 or 5 times that would be even more life changing.
@CanyonChasers I started riding pretty late (early 40s) and was never a "fearless" rider. I tried to ride sensibly, using what I'd been taught and "picked up" over the miles. Now, I'm in my late 60s and becoming much more conservative....even though I "know" lots more than I did in my 40s & 50s. I often wonder if my sense of balance is degrading and resulting in anxiety.
I once saw a UA-cam video where someone said you need to "trust" your mototcycle is doing the right thing. With that in mind, I had a brief conversation with my motorcycle and then dared to go on the freeway myself for the first time alone and it worked. Personifying the motorcycle, making it my trustful friend, somehow helped. We need to trust the machinery and the physics that come with it to a certain extent. The skills, we can work on them to build trust in ourselves, but that's not all.
Whenever I hear that voice in my head.. "Let's turn left here, it's easier.. I don't like that right turn at all." I accept that I'm afraid to turn right, and I deliberately push myself to turn right. It worked perfectly every time so far, and thanks to this kind of approach, I experience these fears less and less often.
This is how I raised my kids - fear is good because fear is trying to keep you alive, but fear doesn't have any ability to think so don't let it make the decisions. Practicing something scary makes it less scary, and that includes practicing overcoming fear.
Brilliant. Thanks so much. I used to ride. After 30 years, I am preparing to ride again. I was excited and happy. Then I dropped the bike at the training session, TWICE, onto my left hip which happens to be replaced. Yes. I have safety gear on. Still… I got pretty bruised. If I had my own bones there, not a problem. Naturally, I don’t want to mess that up. What’s difficult is all the slow speed training. I dropped the bike making a u-turn left from a full stop and facing a wall of bikes 10 feet in front of me. We didn’t do that 30 years ago and watching this video, I realize I need to practice, practice, practice getting fully comfortable (throttle, clutch, braking, etc) with basic controls BEFORE I need to use them in these slow manoeuvres. I have to ride unfamiliar bikes during these sessions and getting used to each one’s little issues or just changing friction zones shakes my confidence each time until I get used to that bike. This video really helps me focus on what I need to do.
Been a firefighter for 30 yrs and a motorcyclists for 50. Dealing with fear is life long. Learing how to work with it is best learned at a young age. It will help you do things you never thought you could. Thanks for the great video.
As an recently retired Army veteran over 21yrs I definitely agree 💯. There is a healthy fear that keeps you alive & alert and wanting more, I don't do track days as I just don't want to and doesn't interest me, not fearful of doing it, I know it would be fun though.
What I like most about you, is your authenticity and kindness. You approach these videos with humility and a genuine desire to help your fellow riders. I've grown weary of many other YT channels that are a little more than a thin disguise for some guy to show off his motorcycle or skills. You're a great teacher because you care. This video is an excellent example of that. One of your best. Thank you.
Watched twice before commenting. Here goes. I am 65 years old. First dirt bike at 12. Progressed to a CR500. Sold last bike by 35. Yes- push yourself with knowledge/fitness and ability. Never put aside fear. Wished in racing I could be more fearless (but usually made it to work the next day). Still enjoyed racing. Crashed on pavement 3 times ( came close a few other times). Concussed in dirt crashes many times. Laid up for days (but never hospitalized). After 29 years off just got another bike-and love it so much. Still push myself a bit, but enjoy the journey more than before. Just last week saw 5 sport bike riders parked (one bike in the weeds). rider was ok. Later I saw first responders on scene w/ a body under a plastic sheet on the side of the road. Read it was a 28 year old sport rider that couldn't make a turn. Do your own ride your own way- constant improvement yes. Respect the risk yes. Ride on.
I went out of my comfort zone today and I am so glad that I did. I'm 75. I did my first street riding today in 40 years. Most of my fears were about getting to the paved road. I was afraid of my driveway. It was a a piece of cake. Health fear is what keeps us alive.
I just did a weekend ride and used the techniques you talked about. It works! I did it on long corners, short corners. I surprised myself! You just get to feel it. I found I wasn't even looking at dials or revs. Thank you.
I’ve observed that if I run from fear or pain, it rules and chases me, but if I face them, I am in control and they abate (or at least become more manageable).
This is one of the best videos you’ve published. Thank you! So many parallels in here that relate to the professional world, not just the riding world.
I started riding a few days ago and I was terrified while in the house looking at all the new gear, with the new bike outside. Fear wasn't negative for me just my response to it which was almost stagnation. As soon as I got on the bike and hit the street I calmed all the way down. All the things I read and learned from MSF and other riders and awesome channels on UA-cam, mixed with the experience I was getting from finally riding came back to my mind. Now I have to work on hills, lol.
when i got my bike two years back, i was excited but also panicky about riding it on public streets because i'd never had to control a motorized vehicle before. I'd get panic attacks and not ride: so finally I made a plan - riding the local 40km per hour streets, nice and slow, do some exercises in parking lots. When I started to feel 'bored' with that, I ventured out onto faster streets: fear was there but it was more about car drivers' behaviour than bike control. So I watched more videos and read books about road strategies and thought about them and used them. I also made sure that I rode only when i felt 'ready' mentally for it: no point in riding if you're not prepared to be focused on what's going on around you. Fear has kept me alive all through the rides: the eyes on the back of my head giving the 360-degree observation. Now I can put myself into 'risky' situations (such as longer distance rides) and test my 'mental stamina' and so far I've not had any accidents :) So Fear and me: not parasites
I love this story! Great job on developing a strategy! Fear has kept me alive too. Some criticize me for riding too fast, or too aggressively, but the truth is, I'm actually a very risk averse rider. I have niggling fears in the back of my head all the time, and you know what? I pay attention to all of them! And then I look for ways to address those fears, by learning more advanced techniques, or slowing down, or not riding in the wet, or practicing more - or whatever else. I put my arm around the fear, but I don't let it drive.
I phrase fight or flight differently, I call it fear or focus. The adrenaline can cause you to panic or fall apart, or you can accept it, embrace it and use it to become fully conscious in the moment which is great for riding a bike! I still get that thrill before getting on my bike, but I tell myself it's nervous excitement which I can use and enjoy, rather than fear which is tension and distraction.
Wow i also feel same about that. I thought bike is too heavy and whenever i ride with someone behind me. I start panic more. 😢😢😢😢 and my handle start shaking too much i start losing control and the most important thing i live in india there people don't follow any rule they drive bike insanely.
I feel that though this is a motorcycle "centric" take. The points your are making are very valid for a lot of different aspects of our lives. Incredibly relevant video for me.. Thank you!
I used to have serious fear of lean. It was bad enough to be dangerous - there are times when leaning (extra lean angle) is the best if not the only way to correctly deal with a changing situation. (I do use trail braking, but sometimes the correct instantaneous response when your lean angle is moderate is to lean more). Also, leaning should be fun, not fearful. It is a large part of what fun biking is about. So fixing this was important. I have pretty much solved this by riding in circles. I found a location where I have about a 10m radius piece of (relatively good) tarmac, with a bit of a slope and some slightly rough patches. Over about two years I rode circles (clockwise and anticlockwise) - at first embarrassingly slowly, but over time gradually faster and faster. It helped enormously. I still have some fear of extreme lean angles, but my ridiculous and unfounded fear of moderate lean angles is totally gone.
I appreciate your digging deeper into the psychology of riding. This one really hit home. It's a very appropriate subject for those of us who are about to begin a new riding season. Thanks for posting.
Amazing video, thank you! Mental preparedness is just as important as the physical skills needed to ride our rides. So glad to see people spending time on it and caring about it.
Thank you for your service, Dave and thank you for your commitment to providing us valuable and easy to understand lessons. You’re a blessing to new and all riders. Keep up the great work, Dave! God Bless 🙏
Fear does two things to me when I ride; Fear of taking a corner wrong and getting hurt. And fear of my bike getting smashed up. I try to push myself a little more each time I go out and there's a favorite stretch of twisties I like to ride. Each time I go a little faster, improving my line, trail braking. Riding a motorcycle is much more complicated and demands much more attention than driving a car. It's also a hell of a lot more fun, which is why so many of us do it. Thanks for these videos. I'm eating them up!
Every noted philosopher…biblical, Greek, modern… They all ask you to “Know thyself.” And that is what this is. Practice being AWARE of what you are feeling. Anger, sadness, anxiety…fear. They all affect you physically. You can FEEL it. And they all switch off your ability to reason. Man, this is my soapbox! It’s literally taken a lifetime of practice to recognize and be aware of my own emotions. And I ain’t done! Because that’s what it takes…practice! It’s why I tell people “I never panic.” Because I don’t. But I’m not perfect. I’m still practicing! I’ve been riding a long time. But just the other day, I quickly came up on a blind, hard right hand over a hill and felt that old familiar buzz in the pit of my stomach. There is no denying it but KNOWING that feel enables its quick exit from my mind. I recommend watching this fantastic video about five times! It will help you well beyond your riding experience.
Awesome video! Thanks so much for making it. There are tons of folks on UA-cam who give advice based on their opinions, and a lot of times they are objectively wrong. Thank you for spending the time (probably a lot of it) to research what you’re presenting. Thank you for explaining this topic based on science and facts. Your work is greatly appreciated. Great job!
I did not know how bad I needed to see this video. I was in a wreck a year ago and just could not get back on the bike because how scared I was even though I love riding. Now I want to jump back on
comfort zone- stretch zone- panic zone. We learn best in the stretch zone and not at all in the others. We taught this to hang gliding students in the early 80's. It's not a new concept. A little bit of fear is a GOOD thing! It's great to hear it all again though. Thanks for all the great content!
I found fast downhill corners scary so I kept riding the same stretches, going faster each time, but setting a hard limit of 60% of full send. I also tried riding them in heavy rain just to find the limits under less traction.
Well done! The physiology and psychology related to performance is rarely discussed within the context of riding. One cannot truly enjoy being on a bike until it becomes very natural and does not trigger fear. A wise old rider once told me that one should not be afraid to ride but that when getting on the bike there should be a moment of apprehension which triggers reflection on what you are about to do.
Very very good video. This will go viral and it should as it deals with what every motorcyclist and people deal with on a daily basis with varying things in their lives. I’ve started sharing thanks again!
One of your best videos yet. Unhealthy fear paralyzes. Healthy fear drives you to be better. I am struggling in some aspects of my life regarding fear, but this helped me a lot. It may even make me a better rider. 😉 As always, thank you.
Healthy fear helps you explore your own limits. Being fearless means going full send without any regard for limiting conditions - it's a quick way to get killed.
I would love if you did more of these videos! Has everything I love in life in one video. Psychology, motorcycles and self improvement ^^ I think theres a lot of mechanical content to learnt from, but ways to practice and how mentally engage ourselves is thin or we don't know where to look! This was enjoyable to watch, and I appreciated it! Will definitely give the studies a read too! 10/10
Watched it this morning and took the advice - geared up and said to myself i would just do 20min and ended up riding high speeds half the day. I’m now comfortable at 65-70MPH and for a small stretch took it up to 80mph safely. Had to talk to myself along the and didn’t have the death grip on the bars i usually have on the highway. This was on a small highway - still need to get out there on 70 or 25, which are full of erratic drivers 😅
Another great lesson in riding and life, as usual. Also, it gives great confidence and practice motivation to a new rider knowing that the fear is not something only newbies experience, but also seasoned riders, they too get the same tingling sensation when taken out of the comfort zone. I am a "new" rider (only 3 years now), but I'm not in my 20's anymore and having a family to return to after a ride does bring the fear and conservation levels up a notch. Thanx Dave!
every video is always a 100% agree for me. I'm skydiver instructor and I told my students always "if one day I don't feel fear, I step down of the airplane and I stop jumping that day". Fear is not to be ignored, is to be controlled"
8:44 this is so true. It is a bit like the tank slapper situation. Don't tense up and fight it back, just loosen up and go with the flow and let the front end geometry do its thing to recorrect the course 😅
The bike I ride is much more capable than me so when I get scared in a corner I trust the bike and tyres can handle it as long as I'm in a good body position. That helps me relax my hands and shoulders and be smooth. I'm not a racer boy but I'm fast enough to enjoy my riding. I don't push hard and it's great to come home alive.
Dave, this is such a brilliant topic that your discussing. I now understand why I do some of the things I do when I'm on my bike. Well done 🤓 stay safe. 🏍️
Very cool. I ride a road with tightening downhill corners. I need to brake right into or even through the corner on a couple. Easier uphill but still closing corner some blind. Love that road. Best place on earth. Magnificent subtropical forrest too and views. I guess I rode it early in my time (only five years - late starter) and just got confident. Thanks again.
Right on! (or should I say Ride on!) Yeah, on downhill corners we use that front brake a ton! We go to the front brake when we are nervous and we slow until we are comfortable. It's so easy!
Downhill tight turns are the best! The tighter the better! Seat further away from the tank. Squeeze the tank with your legs. Just enough not to skid forward when breaking hard, but light enough to not get exhausted. Use your abs so that you don’t put any weight on your hands. The harder you break, the more you use your abs, so that you are always light on your hands. And don’t forget to use a little rear break in tight corners as they resemble low speed manœuvres. With this, you will never be tensed again riding downhill
Thanks for finally making a new video! Although I'm a subscriber, I haven't noticed anything new coming for a long time. (I'm not getting notified - not even for this video) Thanks again.... I always enjoy your videos!
Welcome back! UA-cam is so weird. I think we've cranked out more videos in the last six months than we have in the last two years. I tend to click the "Subscribed" button on the UA-cam front page to make sure I don't miss content from the channels I enjoy.
When I was younger I had several bikes, starting with dirt bikes and eventually moving up to a Kawasaki S3 400 - at 16 years old. That was a lot of bike for a 16 year old and I’m sure it was intimidating at first but after awhile - it wasn’t. As I got older I got rid of my bikes and didn’t ride again for many, many, many years. At 59 I recently bought a dual sport (XT250) and as things would have it - I wound up at a track day. I had ridden the dual sport enough to refresh myself, and found that my bike reflexes were still there after all those years. To prep for the track day suitable street tries were mounted to replace the OEM knobbies. Being at my first track day on the dual sport when most everyone else was on a sport bike was a little scary, but as the day wore on I eventually found myself riding at the limit of the bike. One of the course officials followed me and confirmed that I was riding at the limit of my tires. Making lap after lap and discovering how my bike handled pushed back the fear and allowed me to go faster the next time. My butt and my fear told me when I was at my tire’s limits, along with a loosening, greasy feeling around corners. I passed quite a few of the sport bikes in the corners, much to their surprise LOL… Practice, practice, practice to get used to riding at speed, then try a little more speed, then repeat. Your butt and your fear will let you know when you are at your limit.
Well, actually about 2 hours ago, i was entering a cornor with out knowing how the road was, but with trail breaking and aproach with concios i managed to slow mid corner and avoid the gravel in the middle, normally theres no gravel there. I havent been riding for 2 weeks and i do notice a lack of focus and afraid but this afraid ia have its because the road is still wet, i do know my tires sucks for how i like to ride and my bike suspencion also sucks, but even so i still put those "unsuccessful rides" (in my mind) in me thinking i probably will never be able to ride like i was riding some months ago... The overthinking is killing me, broke up with my girl, im allways forgeting stuff and loosing focus, the bike should be my cure but i cant feel anything lately. it sucks and its temporary. Ride safe, the fear of the unknown is dificult
You can't fully control your thoughts and emotions. We can only observe when our fight or flight instinct kicks in, be aware that it has a purpose, and once it served its purpose try to consider what we want out of our day and how to get there. Fear is the mind killer, but it keeps us alive.
I applaud and appreciate your making this video, in addressing the 'soft' skills of managing one's emotions, but I did notice that you focus almost entirely on social fears, and little attention gets paid to the fear of crash and injury, and how to handle the more visceral, more intense feeling that come with that. I'd love to see a follow up that deals with managing sudden flashes of mortal fear- fear that's less anticipatory, more "oh, SHIT!" in nature.
I dont think that ive gained more fear as ive gotten older , i just got tired of crashing and having to repair my motorcycles . I just bought a cheaper 2nd motorcycle and instantly my pace has increased
Haha. I assure you, that you are not. I get "nervous" before every track day and every road trop. Also, LOVE NZ!! We have family (two of our founders) live in Omaru.
Great video! Fear sharpens the senses, gives us the ability to take in more information and learn at a much faster pace if we(I) concentrate on the goal and not the fear. But, it is much easier said than done. 😁 Thanks and keep yourself safe! 😃👍❤🏍 Randy
I just watched this video it was made for me thanks a lot i always before i ride my bike which i enjoy a lot find excuses for not doing it thanks again regards
This is such an amazing video, not only about riding motorcycles, but about life in general. I had to watch it twice because it hit on so many great points. Thank you. Oh, and I liked and subbed :-)
Spot on and very insightful. This vlog is full of useful/ helpful information that is applicable to living life regardless of what you are doing. BTW thank you for your service to our Country! Train hard, fight easy! It is how you control fear that will dictate the outcome of an event. Let it overcome you and you will fail. Control it and rely on your training and you will succeed.
Fantastic video! You could have doubled or trippled the length of the video and delved deeper into fear. It's a topic that is rarely covered correctly and you did a tremendous job.
Hi there, hope everyone is having a good day. I'm 57 and have been riding on the road for 40 years and that's a similar story for the majority of the 14 guys and gals I usually ride with. Like everyone else out there I remember the first time I rode a bike myself and from that moment on I've been hooked. I only wish I had access to the collective knowledge that Channels like Canyon Chasers share. I learnt to ride the same way as probably 90% of you all did and that was by trying this and trying that and following better riders and watching what they do and listening to every bit of advice and taking on most offered. And of course recognizing and eliminating bad Habits developed sometimes over a long time. Every single time I go for a ride I am always refining my techniques and even still trying new ones I've learnt from your channel. Seriously it's Channels like this that will save lives and if there was access to this sort of information when I started out on the road there would probably be a few RD LC riders still with us today. Regards Pete from 🇦🇺
That's exactly how we learned and it was an extremely slow process with a lot of bad information. Part of why we make these videos is for exactly the reasons you pointed out. We all win when we all ride more proficiently.
Fear is a good thing. For me it’s often more subtle, like a whisper and that helps me all of the time while I ride. It says “Don’t panic”, or “Take your time” etc. It recently allowed me to pay closer attention to the cross traffic at an intersection rather than the signal light turning green. As a result I was standing still when a large SUV blew his RED light, when I clearly had the GREEN. If I wasn’t listening to my instincts (lizard brain) in that moment and chose to go on green I might not be responding to this great video.
I've been struggling with anxiety for most of my adult life. When I was 20 I got my first motorcycle, and I remember being so, so excited to ride it. The first time I dropped it shattered my confidence, to the point that anytime I thought about riding, I couldn't get over the fear and negative thoughts and rarely took it out. It's been years now since I've been on my bike, and honestly I do miss it dearly. A rider friend of mine has been encouraging me to get back on, and there's a huge part of me that has been wanting to, but I always let the fear rule out.
Thank you so much for this video. I always thought there was something wrong with the way I was feeling, and you hit the nail on the head with every point - the idea of shame, the concern about attention, or caring too much. This all resonated so deeply with me, and really did make me feel a lot better about trying to ride again.
So, first. There is nothing wrong with you! Second, doing these videos can be hard. The criticisms, the just-to-be-mean, troll-comments that insult me for how I look or whatever. On Sunday I was so discouraged that I was saying to myself that this would be my last video. I go through this with almost every video I make. I really do. And then I read your comment this morning.... Words escape me, but you encouraged me and reminded me why I do this. So, sincerely, thank you!
You certainly are not required to ride a motorcycle, but I think you can do it. If (when) you do, let me know when you succeed. 👊
Hey sash. I totally get that feeling. I've been riding for 35 years and have had a number of serious mishaps. When the first incident happened (t-boned a car at the age of 21) I knew I had to get riding again as soon as I was fit enough. I was lucky to have friends who knew this and long before my own bike was fixed and rideable, they all offered their own rides for me to put some tarmac under me. This stopped me from getting into the rut that you find yourself in. Fast forward to the beginning of 2022 and I too found myself in the rut. I've been riding superbikes for the last 18 years and for the last 5 years, I've been in that anxiety state. I've got a Fireblade and I've done less than 200 miles in that 5 year period. I just talked myself out of riding it. Fear was keeping it in the garage. I didn't want to sell it, because that would be too upsetting, so I did the next best thing. I bought a small 200cc bike, to see if I could fall in love with riding again, without the fear. It worked. I actually started enjoying the roads again. Couldn't keep me off it. I did find that it lacked a little power, so I did then buy a slightly bigger one, but the bigger one is perfect. I've ridden almost 1000 miles in the last 2 months and my confidence as a rider is flooding back. Enough that I might be able to bring the Fireblade out of the garage and enjoy it again too. Don't give up. You can find that feeling again. I may have taken an odd route to it, but it shows it's possible. Good luck.
@@CanyonChasers There are times when I second guess posting comments online due to the negativity you mentioned, but your video was so genuine and seemed to stem from a true place of understanding and compassion that I wanted to let you know how much I appreciated it. I never expected my comment would have that kind of impact in return, but I'm glad it did. You have to do what's right for you (and your mental health), but I hope you take to heart that there are people out there that are thankful for the lessons we've learned because you were willing to put yourself out there.
And thank you for the vote of confidence! My motorcycle has been on my mind more and more lately, and the itch to fix it up and get back out there is getting pretty strong. I'll let you know if I do get back in the saddle, because your video will have certainly played a part if I do!
@@Froobyone Thank you so much for sharing this. I'd often look at people that ride and think they must simply have no fear. So knowing that even someone that has been riding as long as you can experience that (and find ways to overcome it) is incredibly reassuring.
I remember when I took the MSF course they gave me a little Honda Grom to ride. I'm a short person, and that bike fit me like a glove. I was so confident on it I would have ridden it home if they had let me haha. And then when I got home to my bike it just felt so... big in comparison (even though a 250 Ninja isn't "big", for a 5"4 female as my first bike, it's still felt that way). Maybe I do need to start a bit smaller on something I'd be more comfortable on, rather than trying to tell myself I can handle the Ninja because it's such a common starter bike.
Thank you for reminding me of that feeling - it was really nice to feel so confident on that bike. Maybe that'll be the place to start.
@@sashasally Thank you for your reply. I am rooting for you getting your confidence and love of riding back. Fear can be conquered. Once you understand that fear comes from the primal part of our brains. It just wants to protect us, but it doesn't make decisions based on logic, it makes them based on emotion. Unfortunately, the emotional part of our brain is more powerful than the logical part and often overrides it. It helps to recognise when it's happening, but it takes practice. There's a fabulous book called The Chimp Paradox that explains it much more eloquently than I can and its teachings can be applied to all walks of life, including riding. I really hope you can conquer the "chimp" and feel the wind on you again soon. I think it would be bad form to ask you to keep me posted on someone else's video, but if you feel inclined, drop me a message on one of my bike vids. Take care and good luck.
Was fearless as a young man but fear develops as you get older because you're more aware of your mortality.
OMG. No joke!!
On the other hand you feel you have a lot more things to loose, when you get older it's not only you, your family is on the back seat with you.
Incorrect my Polynesian Sha Sha, you were told to fear by Anti Drug MADD or RADD Milita. These people were planning to take your money away from you...
I assess risk and my abilities differently to when I was younger - when young in some things (surfing, driving, sailboarding) I did things then I would not do now, but would not do other things then that I would now do (skiiing and cycling). I think I am more mindful and informed about how I look at a high risk situation. As a recent (6 years) motorcyclist riding a seriously quick bike that is way better than my skills, and being in that 50+ age bracket with a lot of driving experience and a history of high risk high energy sports, I need to avoid over-confidence and be thoughtful in how I ride my machine. i have learnt (painfully) the consequences of a crash at 30kph on a MTB, and not hard to see how a crash at 2 or 3 or 4 or 5 times that would be even more life changing.
@CanyonChasers I started riding pretty late (early 40s) and was never a "fearless" rider. I tried to ride sensibly, using what I'd been taught and "picked up" over the miles. Now, I'm in my late 60s and becoming much more conservative....even though I "know" lots more than I did in my 40s & 50s. I often wonder if my sense of balance is degrading and resulting in anxiety.
I once saw a UA-cam video where someone said you need to "trust" your mototcycle is doing the right thing. With that in mind, I had a brief conversation with my motorcycle and then dared to go on the freeway myself for the first time alone and it worked. Personifying the motorcycle, making it my trustful friend, somehow helped. We need to trust the machinery and the physics that come with it to a certain extent. The skills, we can work on them to build trust in ourselves, but that's not all.
You become one with the bike. Otherwise you're just strangers.
Also need to learn to work on your own bike and know when it is having issues to know if you can trust it.
Thank u 4 a goid comment! I think personifying is how we connect to stuff.
Whenever I hear that voice in my head.. "Let's turn left here, it's easier.. I don't like that right turn at all." I accept that I'm afraid to turn right, and I deliberately push myself to turn right. It worked perfectly every time so far, and thanks to this kind of approach, I experience these fears less and less often.
This is how I raised my kids - fear is good because fear is trying to keep you alive, but fear doesn't have any ability to think so don't let it make the decisions. Practicing something scary makes it less scary, and that includes practicing overcoming fear.
Dave, this one was a winner! So applicable to riding, exercise, career... "getting comfortable with being uncomfortable". Love it!
Brilliant. Thanks so much. I used to ride. After 30 years, I am preparing to ride again. I was excited and happy. Then I dropped the bike at the training session, TWICE, onto my left hip which happens to be replaced. Yes. I have safety gear on. Still… I got pretty bruised. If I had my own bones there, not a problem. Naturally, I don’t want to mess that up. What’s difficult is all the slow speed training. I dropped the bike making a u-turn left from a full stop and facing a wall of bikes 10 feet in front of me. We didn’t do that 30 years ago and watching this video, I realize I need to practice, practice, practice getting fully comfortable (throttle, clutch, braking, etc) with basic controls BEFORE I need to use them in these slow manoeuvres. I have to ride unfamiliar bikes during these sessions and getting used to each one’s little issues or just changing friction zones shakes my confidence each time until I get used to that bike. This video really helps me focus on what I need to do.
Been a firefighter for 30 yrs and a motorcyclists for 50. Dealing with fear is life long. Learing how to work with it is best learned at a young age. It will help you do things you never thought you could. Thanks for the great video.
As an recently retired Army veteran over 21yrs I definitely agree 💯. There is a healthy fear that keeps you alive & alert and wanting more, I don't do track days as I just don't want to and doesn't interest me, not fearful of doing it, I know it would be fun though.
What I like most about you, is your authenticity and kindness. You approach these videos with humility and a genuine desire to help your fellow riders. I've grown weary of many other YT channels that are a little more than a thin disguise for some guy to show off his motorcycle or skills. You're a great teacher because you care. This video is an excellent example of that. One of your best. Thank you.
Wow! Thank you! Thats were some incredibly kind words! I really appreciated it.
Excellent plunge into one of the most important aspects of life in general!!! Love this!💯❤️👍🏽
here on this channel, we not only learn about riding, we also learn profound life lessons. Thanks for sharing, really needed this
Watched twice before commenting. Here goes. I am 65 years old. First dirt bike at 12. Progressed to a CR500. Sold last bike by 35. Yes- push yourself with knowledge/fitness and ability. Never put aside fear. Wished in racing I could be more fearless (but usually made it to work the next day). Still enjoyed racing. Crashed on pavement 3 times ( came close a few other times). Concussed in dirt crashes many times. Laid up for days (but never hospitalized). After 29 years off just got another bike-and love it so much. Still push myself a bit, but enjoy the journey more than before. Just last week saw 5 sport bike riders parked (one bike in the weeds). rider was ok. Later I saw first responders on scene w/ a body under a plastic sheet on the side of the road. Read it was a 28 year old sport rider that couldn't make a turn. Do your own ride your own way- constant improvement yes. Respect the risk yes. Ride on.
I went out of my comfort zone today and I am so glad that I did. I'm 75. I did my first street riding today in 40 years. Most of my fears were about getting to the paved road. I was afraid of my driveway. It was a a piece of cake. Health fear is what keeps us alive.
I just did a weekend ride and used the techniques you talked about. It works! I did it on long corners, short corners. I surprised myself! You just get to feel it. I found I wasn't even looking at dials or revs. Thank you.
I’ve observed that if I run from fear or pain, it rules and chases me, but if I face them, I am in control and they abate (or at least become more manageable).
This is one of the best videos you’ve published. Thank you! So many parallels in here that relate to the professional world, not just the riding world.
I started riding a few days ago and I was terrified while in the house looking at all the new gear, with the new bike outside. Fear wasn't negative for me just my response to it which was almost stagnation. As soon as I got on the bike and hit the street I calmed all the way down. All the things I read and learned from MSF and other riders and awesome channels on UA-cam, mixed with the experience I was getting from finally riding came back to my mind. Now I have to work on hills, lol.
I didn’t think about hills till now
when i got my bike two years back, i was excited but also panicky about riding it on public streets because i'd never had to control a motorized vehicle before. I'd get panic attacks and not ride: so finally I made a plan - riding the local 40km per hour streets, nice and slow, do some exercises in parking lots. When I started to feel 'bored' with that, I ventured out onto faster streets: fear was there but it was more about car drivers' behaviour than bike control. So I watched more videos and read books about road strategies and thought about them and used them. I also made sure that I rode only when i felt 'ready' mentally for it: no point in riding if you're not prepared to be focused on what's going on around you. Fear has kept me alive all through the rides: the eyes on the back of my head giving the 360-degree observation. Now I can put myself into 'risky' situations (such as longer distance rides) and test my 'mental stamina' and so far I've not had any accidents :) So Fear and me: not parasites
I love this story! Great job on developing a strategy! Fear has kept me alive too. Some criticize me for riding too fast, or too aggressively, but the truth is, I'm actually a very risk averse rider. I have niggling fears in the back of my head all the time, and you know what? I pay attention to all of them! And then I look for ways to address those fears, by learning more advanced techniques, or slowing down, or not riding in the wet, or practicing more - or whatever else. I put my arm around the fear, but I don't let it drive.
@@CanyonChasers thank you!
I phrase fight or flight differently, I call it fear or focus. The adrenaline can cause you to panic or fall apart, or you can accept it, embrace it and use it to become fully conscious in the moment which is great for riding a bike!
I still get that thrill before getting on my bike, but I tell myself it's nervous excitement which I can use and enjoy, rather than fear which is tension and distraction.
Wow i also feel same about that. I thought bike is too heavy and whenever i ride with someone behind me. I start panic more. 😢😢😢😢 and my handle start shaking too much i start losing control
and the most important thing i live in india there people don't follow any rule they drive bike insanely.
Well said!
I feel that though this is a motorcycle "centric" take. The points your are making are very valid for a lot of different aspects of our lives. Incredibly relevant video for me.. Thank you!
Motorcycle guys live the best lives, well the ones that are learned,smart, riders!
This was helpful not just in riding but in life choices too. Thanks for making this🙏
I used to have serious fear of lean. It was bad enough to be dangerous - there are times when leaning (extra lean angle) is the best if not the only way to correctly deal with a changing situation. (I do use trail braking, but sometimes the correct instantaneous response when your lean angle is moderate is to lean more).
Also, leaning should be fun, not fearful. It is a large part of what fun biking is about. So fixing this was important.
I have pretty much solved this by riding in circles. I found a location where I have about a 10m radius piece of (relatively good) tarmac, with a bit of a slope and some slightly rough patches.
Over about two years I rode circles (clockwise and anticlockwise) - at first embarrassingly slowly, but over time gradually faster and faster. It helped enormously.
I still have some fear of extreme lean angles, but my ridiculous and unfounded fear of moderate lean angles is totally gone.
A lot of UA-cam videos end up with a loyal group of commenters who flood the comment section with praise, this one deserves it.
Thanks, this is a really great presentation that makes so much sense it is a life changer!
Glad you think so!
I appreciate your digging deeper into the psychology of riding. This one really hit home. It's a very appropriate subject for those of us who are about to begin a new riding season. Thanks for posting.
I appreciate that! I'm glad you enjoyed it. I really enjoyed making it!
Amazing video, thank you! Mental preparedness is just as important as the physical skills needed to ride our rides. So glad to see people spending time on it and caring about it.
Clicked on the video thinking I’ll learn how to ride better but I came out with an extremely valuable life advice.
Thank you so much ❤
Thank you for your service, Dave and thank you for your commitment to providing us valuable and easy to understand lessons. You’re a blessing to new and all riders. Keep up the great work, Dave! God Bless 🙏
Fear does two things to me when I ride; Fear of taking a corner wrong and getting hurt. And fear of my bike getting smashed up. I try to push myself a little more each time I go out and there's a favorite stretch of twisties I like to ride. Each time I go a little faster, improving my line, trail braking. Riding a motorcycle is much more complicated and demands much more attention than driving a car. It's also a hell of a lot more fun, which is why so many of us do it. Thanks for these videos. I'm eating them up!
I really loved the affirmation that fear is healthy. Don’t let it consume us, but listen to what it has to say.
Every noted philosopher…biblical, Greek, modern…
They all ask you to “Know thyself.”
And that is what this is. Practice being AWARE of what you are feeling. Anger, sadness, anxiety…fear. They all affect you physically. You can FEEL it.
And they all switch off your ability to reason.
Man, this is my soapbox! It’s literally taken a lifetime of practice to recognize and be aware of my own emotions. And I ain’t done! Because that’s what it takes…practice!
It’s why I tell people “I never panic.” Because I don’t.
But I’m not perfect. I’m still practicing!
I’ve been riding a long time. But just the other day, I quickly came up on a blind, hard right hand over a hill and felt that old familiar buzz in the pit of my stomach. There is no denying it but KNOWING that feel enables its quick exit from my mind.
I recommend watching this fantastic video about five times! It will help you well beyond your riding experience.
Aww man. Goosebumps!! You are so spot on!
@@CanyonChasers all true!
This video is so inspiring that I stopped it at around 8min and went out to enjoy the day. But I'll resume it when I get back. 😄
Oh it gets really good at that point!!
Awesome video! Thanks so much for making it. There are tons of folks on UA-cam who give advice based on their opinions, and a lot of times they are objectively wrong.
Thank you for spending the time (probably a lot of it) to research what you’re presenting. Thank you for explaining this topic based on science and facts. Your work is greatly appreciated. Great job!
I did not know how bad I needed to see this video. I was in a wreck a year ago and just could not get back on the bike because how scared I was even though I love riding. Now I want to jump back on
comfort zone- stretch zone- panic zone. We learn best in the stretch zone and not at all in the others. We taught this to hang gliding students in the early 80's. It's not a new concept. A little bit of fear is a GOOD thing! It's great to hear it all again though. Thanks for all the great content!
I found fast downhill corners scary so I kept riding the same stretches, going faster each time, but setting a hard limit of 60% of full send. I also tried riding them in heavy rain just to find the limits under less traction.
Awesome, man! Thanks for producing this!
Well done! The physiology and psychology related to performance is rarely discussed within the context of riding. One cannot truly enjoy being on a bike until it becomes very natural and does not trigger fear. A wise old rider once told me that one should not be afraid to ride but that when getting on the bike there should be a moment of apprehension which triggers reflection on what you are about to do.
Yes! I totally agree. I get nervous before every track day, every ride. Theres a ton of risk, right. We shouldn't be oblivious of that.
Very very good video. This will go viral and it should as it deals with what every motorcyclist and people deal with on a daily basis with varying things in their lives. I’ve started sharing thanks again!
Wow! Thank you!
One of your best videos yet. Unhealthy fear paralyzes. Healthy fear drives you to be better. I am struggling in some aspects of my life regarding fear, but this helped me a lot. It may even make me a better rider. 😉
As always, thank you.
Healthy fear helps you explore your own limits. Being fearless means going full send without any regard for limiting conditions - it's a quick way to get killed.
I would love if you did more of these videos! Has everything I love in life in one video. Psychology, motorcycles and self improvement ^^ I think theres a lot of mechanical content to learnt from, but ways to practice and how mentally engage ourselves is thin or we don't know where to look! This was enjoyable to watch, and I appreciated it! Will definitely give the studies a read too! 10/10
Thank you! I love this too. I call it "moto-philisophy" and I bore my friends to death with these kinds of discussions.
That was incredible thank you I will listen to this often because it applies to everything in life.
Watched it this morning and took the advice - geared up and said to myself i would just do 20min and ended up riding high speeds half the day. I’m now comfortable at 65-70MPH and for a small stretch took it up to 80mph safely. Had to talk to myself along the and didn’t have the death grip on the bars i usually have on the highway. This was on a small highway - still need to get out there on 70 or 25, which are full of erratic drivers 😅
Another great lesson in riding and life, as usual. Also, it gives great confidence and practice motivation to a new rider knowing that the fear is not something only newbies experience, but also seasoned riders, they too get the same tingling sensation when taken out of the comfort zone. I am a "new" rider (only 3 years now), but I'm not in my 20's anymore and having a family to return to after a ride does bring the fear and conservation levels up a notch. Thanx Dave!
every video is always a 100% agree for me. I'm skydiver instructor and I told my students always "if one day I don't feel fear, I step down of the airplane and I stop jumping that day". Fear is not to be ignored, is to be controlled"
I love it!! And thank you!!
8:44 this is so true. It is a bit like the tank slapper situation. Don't tense up and fight it back, just loosen up and go with the flow and let the front end geometry do its thing to recorrect the course 😅
I love it!
Wonderful!
I found that training is the answer to fear.
When you know the correct technique to perform scary action, the fear goes away.
This is an absolute gem of a video man, thank you so much for putting this together!
Thank you!
Wow! Well done. Very powerful! THANK YOU!
Happy Memorial Day thank you for your service
You do a good job with these videos. I'm on a binge. Well done with all of them and keep it up. Your insight is very helpful and informative.
Thank you!
The bike I ride is much more capable than me so when I get scared in a corner I trust the bike and tyres can handle it as long as I'm in a good body position. That helps me relax my hands and shoulders and be smooth. I'm not a racer boy but I'm fast enough to enjoy my riding. I don't push hard and it's great to come home alive.
As always, another top notch video. Your contribution to the collective knowledge of the motorcucling worlid is just outstanding.
Dave, this is such a brilliant topic that your discussing. I now understand why I do some of the things I do when I'm on my bike. Well done 🤓 stay safe. 🏍️
Awesome!
Really good video. Applicable everywhere in life.
For me, this is one of your most helpful videos. Thank you!
Glad to hear it! It's one of my favorites too.
Wow, this makes so much sense and I'll be sure to embrace fear more now, as I push the boundaries on track further. Slow n steady.
Thanks!
Very cool. I ride a road with tightening downhill corners. I need to brake right into or even through the corner on a couple. Easier uphill but still closing corner some blind. Love that road. Best place on earth. Magnificent subtropical forrest too and views. I guess I rode it early in my time (only five years - late starter) and just got confident. Thanks again.
Right on! (or should I say Ride on!) Yeah, on downhill corners we use that front brake a ton! We go to the front brake when we are nervous and we slow until we are comfortable. It's so easy!
@@CanyonChasers Your video on trail braking helped get me off relying on the rear brake. Thanks. ua-cam.com/video/gPE67XqGsV4/v-deo.html
Downhill tight turns are the best! The tighter the better!
Seat further away from the tank. Squeeze the tank with your legs. Just enough not to skid forward when breaking hard, but light enough to not get exhausted.
Use your abs so that you don’t put any weight on your hands. The harder you break, the more you use your abs, so that you are always light on your hands.
And don’t forget to use a little rear break in tight corners as they resemble low speed manœuvres.
With this, you will never be tensed again riding downhill
I'm with you! Those are my favorite turns. We are planning an entire video on that topic this summer. Hence, the foreshadowing. :)
Awesome video for overcoming fear. FULL-STOP. Thanks
Thanks, good video! I needed to hear fear is not so bad but can improve my knowledge.
Trail braking and general brake technique kills most fear 👍🏻
Isn't that the truth!
Good to hear it again, and again, and again.
Awesome awesome advice, thanks for this video it makes so much sense !!
👍🏼👍🏼
My pleasure!
thank you so much. Incredible video
Thanks for finally making a new video! Although I'm a subscriber, I haven't noticed anything new coming for a long time. (I'm not getting notified - not even for this video) Thanks again.... I always enjoy your videos!
Welcome back! UA-cam is so weird. I think we've cranked out more videos in the last six months than we have in the last two years. I tend to click the "Subscribed" button on the UA-cam front page to make sure I don't miss content from the channels I enjoy.
When I was younger I had several bikes, starting with dirt bikes and eventually moving up to a Kawasaki S3 400 - at 16 years old. That was a lot of bike for a 16 year old and I’m sure it was intimidating at first but after awhile - it wasn’t.
As I got older I got rid of my bikes and didn’t ride again for many, many, many years.
At 59 I recently bought a dual sport (XT250) and as things would have it - I wound up at a track day. I had ridden the dual sport enough to refresh myself, and found that my bike reflexes were still there after all those years.
To prep for the track day suitable street tries were mounted to replace the OEM knobbies.
Being at my first track day on the dual sport when most everyone else was on a sport bike was a little scary, but as the day wore on I eventually found myself riding at the limit of the bike. One of the course officials followed me and confirmed that I was riding at the limit of my tires.
Making lap after lap and discovering how my bike handled pushed back the fear and allowed me to go faster the next time. My butt and my fear told me when I was at my tire’s limits, along with a loosening, greasy feeling around corners.
I passed quite a few of the sport bikes in the corners, much to their surprise LOL…
Practice, practice, practice to get used to riding at speed, then try a little more speed, then repeat. Your butt and your fear will let you know when you are at your limit.
Well, actually about 2 hours ago, i was entering a cornor with out knowing how the road was, but with trail breaking and aproach with concios i managed to slow mid corner and avoid the gravel in the middle, normally theres no gravel there. I havent been riding for 2 weeks and i do notice a lack of focus and afraid but this afraid ia have its because the road is still wet, i do know my tires sucks for how i like to ride and my bike suspencion also sucks, but even so i still put those "unsuccessful rides" (in my mind) in me thinking i probably will never be able to ride like i was riding some months ago... The overthinking is killing me, broke up with my girl, im allways forgeting stuff and loosing focus, the bike should be my cure but i cant feel anything lately. it sucks and its temporary. Ride safe, the fear of the unknown is dificult
Very, very interesting and useful!!! Thank you!
You can't fully control your thoughts and emotions. We can only observe when our fight or flight instinct kicks in, be aware that it has a purpose, and once it served its purpose try to consider what we want out of our day and how to get there. Fear is the mind killer, but it keeps us alive.
I applaud and appreciate your making this video, in addressing the 'soft' skills of managing one's emotions, but I did notice that you focus almost entirely on social fears, and little attention gets paid to the fear of crash and injury, and how to handle the more visceral, more intense feeling that come with that. I'd love to see a follow up that deals with managing sudden flashes of mortal fear- fear that's less anticipatory, more "oh, SHIT!" in nature.
this content is absolute gold. Thank you!
Glad you enjoy it! I'm pretty proud of this one.
I dont think that ive gained more fear as ive gotten older , i just got tired of crashing and having to repair my motorcycles . I just bought a cheaper 2nd motorcycle and instantly my pace has increased
I thought I was the only one feeling the fear...this is brilliant!! 👌 Cheers from NZ
Haha. I assure you, that you are not. I get "nervous" before every track day and every road trop. Also, LOVE NZ!! We have family (two of our founders) live in Omaru.
@@CanyonChasers oh wow...I did a big south island ride through Oamaru in 2020. That's very cool ❤️
Great video!
Fear sharpens the senses, gives us the ability to take in more information and learn
at a much faster pace if we(I) concentrate on the goal and not the fear. But, it is much
easier said than done. 😁
Thanks and keep yourself safe! 😃👍❤🏍
Randy
I just watched this video it was made for me thanks a lot i always before i ride my bike which i enjoy a lot find excuses for not doing it thanks again regards
This is such an amazing video, not only about riding motorcycles, but about life in general. I had to watch it twice because it hit on so many great points. Thank you.
Oh, and I liked and subbed :-)
Very interesting, applies to all aspects of life that we are affraid of. Thank you.
One of the best , thank you.
Spot on and very insightful. This vlog is full of useful/ helpful information that is applicable to living life regardless of what you are doing. BTW thank you for your service to our Country!
Train hard, fight easy! It is how you control fear that will dictate the outcome of an event. Let it overcome you and you will fail. Control it and rely on your training and you will succeed.
Thank you! I love that "Train hard, fight easy!"
Wow! I think you just helped us improve our riding and anything else we care to!
Thanks!
Awesome. Thank you.
Getting comfortable with being uncomfortable! So true!
Thank you for a great video and book tip. Super useful to have the concepts put in the context of riding 🙏🏼
Great video, thanks for putting the effort to analyse this from a different perspective, much appreciated
Thank you!
amazing subject. you just get better and better, sir, and always with gusto and fun. thank you for an amazing series of relevant topics.
Great episode
Thank you
Thanks for this video, great riding advice, great life advice. Thanks so much
Ty
Thank you so much man thank you so much
Thank you
You're welcome
Fantastic video! You could have doubled or trippled the length of the video and delved deeper into fear. It's a topic that is rarely covered correctly and you did a tremendous job.
Thank you!!
All right Dave, this one really hit it
Thank you!!
Great work Dave, well researched and the most common sense video on riding improvement I’ve seen. Stepping into the learning zone.
love this. thank you
You.make.some.amazing.stuff. Thank you!
Thank you dude
Dude, you’re the best! Glad you’re in my sphere.
Thank you!
Hi there, hope everyone is having a good day.
I'm 57 and have been riding on the road for 40 years and that's a similar story for the majority of the 14 guys and gals I usually ride with.
Like everyone else out there I remember the first time I rode a bike myself and from that moment on I've been hooked.
I only wish I had access to the collective knowledge that Channels like Canyon Chasers share.
I learnt to ride the same way as probably 90% of you all did and that was by trying this and trying that and following better riders and watching what they do and listening to every bit of advice and taking on most offered. And of course recognizing and eliminating bad Habits developed sometimes over a long time.
Every single time I go for a ride I am always refining my techniques and even still trying new ones I've learnt from your channel.
Seriously it's Channels like this that will save lives and if there was access to this sort of information when I started out on the road there would probably be a few RD LC riders still with us today. Regards Pete from 🇦🇺
That's exactly how we learned and it was an extremely slow process with a lot of bad information. Part of why we make these videos is for exactly the reasons you pointed out. We all win when we all ride more proficiently.
Fear is a good thing. For me it’s often more subtle, like a whisper and that helps me all of the time while I ride. It says “Don’t panic”, or “Take your time” etc.
It recently allowed me to pay closer attention to the cross traffic at an intersection rather than the signal light turning green. As a result I was standing still when a large SUV blew his RED light, when I clearly had the GREEN. If I wasn’t listening to my instincts (lizard brain) in that moment and chose to go on green I might not be responding to this great video.
Excellent Video!
I would like to feature your channel in August. Would you like to participate?
email me at dave at canyonchasers dot com
Thanks!
First 🥇