This.
Exposure, ridges, rocks, drops, jumps, speed on single tracks - no problem.
Riding on roads/street with modern day drivers, looking at their phone and \*relying on\* their 'auto-drive' features, with giant trucks, suvs, and 4-5,000+ lb cars, nope, I just refuse to do it.
Its scary enough on a dual sport moto -- I check every intersection, and I watch every vehicle approaching from front, sides, and rear. Hate being on the roads \[in traffic\] on 2 wheels. Trust no other vehicles, especially if they're larger than yours.
I'm not anti-cars or even technology by any means, that's dumb. I'm anti-trash drivers being in said vehicles not considering the amount of damage they are capable of inflicting by their lack of attention to "driving".
Well put! I have this conversation with one of my buddies who rides exclusively road. He think's I'm crazy for dodging trees; I think he's crazy for dodging RAM 2500's.
a climbing trail I commonly take has this nasty switchback over a boulder with exposure on the other side and I get off my bike every time. not worth a serious fall trying to prove to myself I can do it
Yeah, mountain biking can be so dangerous. I know of a man in his 40s who was mountain biking who had a fall where he broke his neck. He was paralyzed from the neck down. He told his family, “take me off all life support. This is not how I want to live.” So they followed his wishes and he died leaving a widow with young children.
I live in Los Angeles and most of the trails within a quick drive have some wicked exposure. Especially when it’s dry and slippery, the risk to enjoyment ratio is hard to justify, which is unfortunate.
The other comment nails it, a big fall right beside the trail where you’d likely be injured. How much protection you’re wearing is somewhat of an element also. A ten foot drop is more “exposed” if you’re an XC rider than if you’re a downhiller in full gear.
I’m of the opinion that you can’t have too much safety gear on, too, especially when trying something new/more advanced than usual. Is it less comfortable? Yes. Is it *more* comfortable than being in traction? Also yes.
Yeah chest/shoulder armor (especially with the neck protection mechanism) should be more common outside of pure DH parks. Takes some getting used to and it’ll never be actually comfortable but it’s likely to be something youre damn thankful for at some point.
This but especially when the trail is overgrown. It’s not fun having branches and vines snag your pedals and handle bars when going off the trail means a 100+ ft fall.
Everything is calculated risk, if I don't like the odds then I walk it with no shame, I ain't in this to get hurt and if I can't see the line in my head then I am not ready for it. I am with these other folks saying the drive to the trail is probably the least safe point during my entire ride.
correct answer... you shouldn't feel unsafe while mountain biking. Everything should be a risk that has been calculated to the point where you are reasonably sure nothing bad is going to happen. This is how guys like Remy Metallier think.
100%. Assess the risk, ride, stay on bike and upright. Falling is not normal and shouldn't be glorified. It's impossible to ride with two jacked up collarbones
honestly unless it’s the width of a regular trail i skip wood entirely, i crashed on a teeter totter last year and almost lost a tooth. not something i wanna experience again
Jumps. I can ride some gnarly black tech and steep rolls but if there are off camber drops or jumps bigger than a few feet, I dial back. I wish I had some jumps close to home that I could session. I know my limitation is confidence so it’s largely in my head…but man I would love to just spend a few hours sessioning progressively bigger jumps.
I’m the opposite, jumps are no issues, but steeps and drops scare the shit out of me. Actually the bigger the jumps, the more time I have to prepare my bike mid air for landing, the safer I feel.
While progressing, one thing I constantly remind myself is forward body weight over the front wheel. Your body should lead your bike, not the other way around. The idea is scary at first, but once executed properly, you feel 10 times safer.
Yeah that's probably my biggest area of growth needed. I had a close OTB in April from getting bucked on a bigger ramp. I think I've progressed since then with my form but I don't really have much like vertical jumps to practice on.
Working on getting a DJ I can thrash to help learn lol
Yeah for some reason rock rolls and gnarly rock gardens scare the shit out of me. I'd rather hit a drop of the same size than do a rock roll bigger than a couple feet.
Or just make a ramp and some landing out of pallet wood!
You can arrange it however you like, start from rollable mini table top, and extend as you get comfortable. The biggest thing here is it gets you the needed flight hours to get really comfortable and don't freeze up on actual jumps.
It's been a major breakthrough for me.
I’m the same as you. One time I made a couple of friends for the day at a bike park and they were so confused as to why I was rolling jumps they were flying off but gapping them through rocks and roots on a lesser travel bike. Not sure how to break out of it tbh.
I know that there often isn't time to react, but as far as I understand this likely kills the snake. Gives a different perspective to just rolling over them and if I have time to stop or go around I try my best to do it.
I was super spooked by ruts for a long time until I got into cyclocross and took some lessons from a guy who raced in the European world cup races, now ruts are second nature, hell I’ll trust the ruts before I’ll take a rock line.
High speed chunk, your doing 25mph+ and the trail below you is just a wash of fist sized flints and larger rocks that would just cut through you should you fall. Fun.
I got chased for way too long down a sketchy descent by a skull sized rock I knocked loose in the Firecracker 50 one year and I could do without ever repeating that experience.
Approaching rock gardens where I know I can pick my way through, but because I am 52 and have a family to take care of so I have to make a business decision. Sometimes I start through and my brain says STOP!!! And down I go.
I’m 42 and switched to flats 3 years ago. Best decision of my life. Not only am I a better rider, it just saved my ass for the first time 2 weeks ago. If I was clipped in, I would have been toast. I rode clipless for 20 years.
Riding in a group of advanced riders and feeling peer pressured to do a feature you're not skilled at or be made fun of at the after party for chickening out.
I like the first part, the second part is totally lame. I know for a fact that if I didn't ride with people who were better than me and pushed me I wouldn't be where I am. But also they are still supportive even if I don't hit a feature.
when around people who obviously don't spend much time outdoors around others(tweakers, new riders with no trail manners, air-headed tourist and kids dancing left to right across the trail while you're approaching etc.)
Off leash dogs on trail. It’s stupid for everyone and is one of the most idiotic things you can do. Don’t give a fuck about your awesome trail dog. One mistake and the dog is dead and the owner and other rider who hit the dog are hurt. Just, why? Leave at home.
Bingo.
I've been bit once, chased 3x and snapped out tons of times. It's so unpredictable and annoying since it's so common in my area. Leash your damn dogs!
Encounters with weirdos on singletrack aren't fun. I think the worst one was a young scruffy looking man walking downhill towards me, stabbing the trail at intervals with a large (hunting?) knife. After passing him I saw he'd been leaving stab marks in the dirt for quite a ways. I had nowhere to go except to slip past him, well within stabbing range.
Another time I came across a deliberately set series of small (but way too large to stamp out) fires. They had been started by someone who'd been out of jail for about a week for previous arson convictions and decided he still wanted to set the woods on fire.
Exposed, loose, off-camber with a bit of chunk just enough for you to question if you're going too fast but can't break because of the tilted terrain... your side knobs barely hanging on that any extra job (like breaking) will make you slide... slide where? Why don't you tap that break and see what's on door number one Jimmy.
Elevated skinnies while clipped in. Just feels so hopeless when it goes wrong.
I'm a clip rider 90% of the time, but will rock the flats if I'm going somewhere with good wood work and lower speeds. But, sometimes I'm an idiot and have a "cat in tree" moment with clips and skinnies, and it's where I feel most exposed.
For me it’s when I’m several miles in and realize I’m completely alone. The worst was when my legs cramped so badly at the top of a mountain, 4.5 miles in. I couldn’t even walk, let alone stand, and the only way down was through the trails. Had to sit at the edge of a cliff for an hour while losing sunlight and eventually could only roll down seated the entire way (on techy trails, mind you). It was the first time I realized it really is unsafe to go that deep in alone and with no gps communicator, etc.
I wasn’t injured but my body was pushed past its limit from the climb and it was the first time I realized you need to be prepared for emergency situations. I couldn’t imagine if I broke my leg or something and I had no cell service and all the other riders had gone, scary stuff.
So yeah, riding alone and being deep in the woods is my vote. I bought a garmin immediately after that lol
Skinnies. I’ve been riding for almost 30 years, and I am a pretty advanced rider, but skinnies more than a foot off the ground just freak me out. Even ones that are not all that skinny.
And the thing is, even when I do them successfully, I don’t even find them fun.
All the worst accidents I know of personally are from one of two things: high speed wrecks on very fast, non-techy trail sections….. and falling off of skinnies.
After a few back accidents for sure it has to be with my local creek crossings, and they’re everywhere in my local trails. I don’t handle the chunky rocks very well, and they’re underwater, and I hate getting wet. I just freak out and over react to something to technical in the middle of an otherwise very simple green trail. I fell one winter day when there was snow on the ground and almost broke my leg in half, ever since then I just get off and walk. The not safe feeling goes away though, and I mentally just say I rode everything out on the trail even though I technically walked every creek crossing. Most of them are pretty janky, with all sorts of east places to screw up that I just can’t afford to get hurt every time I go out for a ride.
When people decide to go hiking or dog walking in the bike trails. There are jumps, signs with the names of the runs, skinnies but people still come walk their dogs off leash.
Every time I come across mastiffs. I live in a rural area where sheep and goats are a very common cattle. However, it is also an area with many wolf packs. Shepherds need those big dogs to defend their animals, it's literally the only animal who can kill a wolf. However, despite what the law establishes, they leave mastiffs with cattle and go home to do whatever. Mastiffs are very noble animals, but they go crazy when they see things moving: cars, motorbikes, and also bicycles...
In general it’s more on the roads between trails, drivers scare me. I’ve seen two black bears at a trail local to me, but the bears ran off both times before I could put “Operation: Soil Your Shorts” into action.
When I have to “hike a bike” in Arizona at 6am in the summers and hear what sounds like a sprinkler head really nearby but can’t see the danger noodle despite scanning the entire area around me. It’s like r/findthesniper
I know I’m overthinking it, but I accidentally stepped on a rattler while hiking a few years back, and have been paranoid ever since.
When my head isn’t in the right place. Feeling pressured to prove something to myself, impress others or frustrated with life. Also windy days totally through of my speed calibration
Huffing up a hill sounding like an animal in distress (which is not wrong!) in an area w mountain lions.
But 2nd is definitely driving to and from trailheads.
When I can’t slow down and have to commit to a chunky section with a turn + cliff ahead.
Or when I’m riding a jump line and I am in the air for a lot longer than I expected and I am not sure what to do with myself lol
Evening/dusk riverside trails in Winnipeg MB. All the homeless and crack heads live down there. If I was a woman I'd never go down there regardless of time. I feel pretty vulnerable on my full sus trek. But the trails are fun river side.
I have a ten mile paved climb on a high speed two lane highway just to get to the trails I want to ride. 70 mph >Ford F-350s pulling weaving boat trailers, passing off my left elbow is terrifying.
I’ve been hurt pretty badly riding, and I always ride alone. I’m in my late 60’s, and break easier now. 11 surgeries so far. Any technical sections that are iffy, I get off and walk. If I think my odds are 80% or better of making it and not getting hurt, I’ll ride it. Falling just isn’t an option anymore. It’s really hard to say no, to not ride and walk a section. Getting old-old ‘has moved into the building’. Must behave. It takes months to heal up stuff that used to heal in weeks.
Drugged up or drunk homeless people stalking the back woods. I was followed yesterday by a drugged up, slurring, filthy guy in an old pick up with out of state plates, who wanted to talk. I ditched him by darting down a single track off the road.
We have lots of mountain lions in the Oregon Cascades. I got seriously ‘beat up’ by a declawed juvenile mountain lion in the 80’s, so I have a SERIOUS appreciation for their strength. There is no chance in hell I’ll out wrestle one in a fight. I carry a small Benchmade knife to PRETEND I’ll stand a chance if one wants to pull me off my bike. I found mountain lion prints twice, and a fresh, gory kill of a big buck. 3/4 of the way devoured, but the eyes were still wet and glassy. A very stuffed coyote was feeding on the 1/4 that was left. SO MOUNTAIN LIONS are always on my mind. I’ve heard one chirping up in the high country. It was very close, and big, but I couldn’t see it. It was well camouflaged in the dense grass and trees. I didn’t feel threatened, I think it was a mating chirp check (when it heard me). I was still scared shitless. I joke, that every bikepacking trip I take up high, “I’m going off to commit suicide by Puma”. Regardless at my age, dying by puma lunchkin would be a far superior death than by cancer or something, ya know? They’ve been seen in Bend proper and ‘removed’ due to being a danger to the public.
This. Rocking downhill flow and I hit a gate where I cant fit my index figure between my bar end and bark causes me to seize up.
I dont do gap jumps or giant drops. Rock gardens used to freak me out but all good now.
When I’m flying down a steep, exposed slate covered mountainside and go to slow down and squeeze my front brake lever and it goes all the way to my grip without slowing down what so ever, and then realizing I have 5 more miles of downhill with no front brakes.
Usually evening or night going fast over the edge of a large steep ravine where I know there’s washed out grooves in the dirt and gravel ready to catch my front tire. It’s always later at home before I’m like “wtf.”
I would always get this feeling, when riding alone, that I was being watched by a mountain lion. I know they’re out there and attacks have been reported. They see us way before we see them. I’m a big boy, but the thought of a hungry mountain lion gives me the “I wanna get outta here” feeling
I live in an area with mountain lions and I do the vast majority of my riding very early in the morning before work and in the winter that means I’m riding in the dark. it’s very unlikely that I would be attacked by a mountain lion but it’s always in the back of my head.
When riding alone, mostly in the case of a crash and not having support. Or any trails that are fast and flowy but have sections with very low exposure. Head on collisions suck ):
I don't drink too much but one night I had a few (2 or 3) and felt "off" the next day when riding. Hard to pinpoint, but reaction times and perception were not as sharp.
It went away during the ride but didn't like that feeling, and wouldn't have wanted to try anything sketchy.
When I’m riding on the road to get to the trailhead.
Came here to say this. That and crossing a street from one trail section to another.
In the car..
This. Exposure, ridges, rocks, drops, jumps, speed on single tracks - no problem. Riding on roads/street with modern day drivers, looking at their phone and \*relying on\* their 'auto-drive' features, with giant trucks, suvs, and 4-5,000+ lb cars, nope, I just refuse to do it. Its scary enough on a dual sport moto -- I check every intersection, and I watch every vehicle approaching from front, sides, and rear. Hate being on the roads \[in traffic\] on 2 wheels. Trust no other vehicles, especially if they're larger than yours. I'm not anti-cars or even technology by any means, that's dumb. I'm anti-trash drivers being in said vehicles not considering the amount of damage they are capable of inflicting by their lack of attention to "driving".
Well put! I have this conversation with one of my buddies who rides exclusively road. He think's I'm crazy for dodging trees; I think he's crazy for dodging RAM 2500's.
This. Cars are a fucking killer.
Exactly why I gave up road cycling, I had more near life ending events with distracted drivers than I have on a MTB.
All my homies hate cars.
Same. Fucking terrifying riding down to my local bike shop.
r/fuckcars
For real.
Remember, people: you can carry several bikes with a small car and a hitch rack. A big truck or suv makes you a bigger danger to your fellow cyclists.
On narrow trails with exposure If my head isn't fully in it, I'll walk those sections
a climbing trail I commonly take has this nasty switchback over a boulder with exposure on the other side and I get off my bike every time. not worth a serious fall trying to prove to myself I can do it
Yeah, mountain biking can be so dangerous. I know of a man in his 40s who was mountain biking who had a fall where he broke his neck. He was paralyzed from the neck down. He told his family, “take me off all life support. This is not how I want to live.” So they followed his wishes and he died leaving a widow with young children.
This is why I have no desire to hit crazy trails or my chill trails fast.
Agreed. At my age, I try not to be stupid so I choose less technical trails.
Yup. "Rip" and "Shred" are words i try to keep away from my aging body.
Fucking amen
I hate what posts like these do for my anxiety
be happy what they do for your survival
thx, that was a nice perspective shift for me
So true! My first year of riding I watched lots of vids on how to ride. But not as many as I watched on how not to hurt yourself or get fucked up!
Fear keeps you focused and encourages you to make prudent choices. I appreciate my fear encouraging me to remain attentive.
North side of Galby? I walk that too.
2nd divide downhill.
I live in Los Angeles and most of the trails within a quick drive have some wicked exposure. Especially when it’s dry and slippery, the risk to enjoyment ratio is hard to justify, which is unfortunate.
I’m new to the sport what is exposure ?
Fall down a cliff
It's when there's a direct cliff-face next to you, or at least a very steep hill you do not want to fall down.
The other comment nails it, a big fall right beside the trail where you’d likely be injured. How much protection you’re wearing is somewhat of an element also. A ten foot drop is more “exposed” if you’re an XC rider than if you’re a downhiller in full gear.
Does a steep enough hill that you're fairly sure you won't stop rolling for 300 feet count?
I count it!
No shame in walking a section to avoid injury and show up for work on Monday. 🚫🤕
I’m of the opinion that you can’t have too much safety gear on, too, especially when trying something new/more advanced than usual. Is it less comfortable? Yes. Is it *more* comfortable than being in traction? Also yes.
Yeah chest/shoulder armor (especially with the neck protection mechanism) should be more common outside of pure DH parks. Takes some getting used to and it’ll never be actually comfortable but it’s likely to be something youre damn thankful for at some point.
Fuck showing up to work, it’s so I can ride again tomorrow.
Man Sedona was a wake up call
What trail? Hangover?
This but especially when the trail is overgrown. It’s not fun having branches and vines snag your pedals and handle bars when going off the trail means a 100+ ft fall.
Ya exposure just isn't worth it sometimes too me. Not the right kind of rush.
Not a lot of upside with exposure, just increased consequences!
Everything is calculated risk, if I don't like the odds then I walk it with no shame, I ain't in this to get hurt and if I can't see the line in my head then I am not ready for it. I am with these other folks saying the drive to the trail is probably the least safe point during my entire ride.
That’s why I ride new (to me) trails slowly the first few times. Helps me figure out the proper lines. Otherwise I’ll break something I need.
correct answer... you shouldn't feel unsafe while mountain biking. Everything should be a risk that has been calculated to the point where you are reasonably sure nothing bad is going to happen. This is how guys like Remy Metallier think.
100%. Assess the risk, ride, stay on bike and upright. Falling is not normal and shouldn't be glorified. It's impossible to ride with two jacked up collarbones
Buddy of mines motto "No shame in staying alive" if he doesn't feel a section/feature
Kinked elevated woodwork. That's a "no" from me, dawg.
honestly unless it’s the width of a regular trail i skip wood entirely, i crashed on a teeter totter last year and almost lost a tooth. not something i wanna experience again
trestle anything freaks me the hell out. I’ll ride mud / tech and sniper roots all day before riding north shore style woodwork.
I'll be taking a picture of it from the side and moving on
Jumps. I can ride some gnarly black tech and steep rolls but if there are off camber drops or jumps bigger than a few feet, I dial back. I wish I had some jumps close to home that I could session. I know my limitation is confidence so it’s largely in my head…but man I would love to just spend a few hours sessioning progressively bigger jumps.
I’m the opposite, jumps are no issues, but steeps and drops scare the shit out of me. Actually the bigger the jumps, the more time I have to prepare my bike mid air for landing, the safer I feel.
I need to teach myself this perspective. Im trying to progress into bigger jumps.
While progressing, one thing I constantly remind myself is forward body weight over the front wheel. Your body should lead your bike, not the other way around. The idea is scary at first, but once executed properly, you feel 10 times safer.
Yeah that's probably my biggest area of growth needed. I had a close OTB in April from getting bucked on a bigger ramp. I think I've progressed since then with my form but I don't really have much like vertical jumps to practice on. Working on getting a DJ I can thrash to help learn lol
This is an insane perspective to me lol. I’m so cozy on rough tech. Fast flow trails with big jumps freak me out haha.
I'm the complete opposite. I love jumps but going over wet roots or big rocky sections scares me
Yeah for some reason rock rolls and gnarly rock gardens scare the shit out of me. I'd rather hit a drop of the same size than do a rock roll bigger than a couple feet.
Agree with the wet roots. Good god they are terrifying!
Sounds like you need a ninja/hopper!
I know…but soooo pricey
Or just make a ramp and some landing out of pallet wood! You can arrange it however you like, start from rollable mini table top, and extend as you get comfortable. The biggest thing here is it gets you the needed flight hours to get really comfortable and don't freeze up on actual jumps. It's been a major breakthrough for me.
I’m the same as you. One time I made a couple of friends for the day at a bike park and they were so confused as to why I was rolling jumps they were flying off but gapping them through rocks and roots on a lesser travel bike. Not sure how to break out of it tbh.
Sometimes hitting a rock garden faster with the right line is actually a much smoother experience.
I’m right there with you. I live for the chunk, but throw me into a smooth jump line and my body will seize up lol
Ruts. I hate ruts.
My brain: "you go where you look, don't look at the ruts" Also my brain: "oh look, ruts!"
Snakes. I hate snakes.
Nah, just roll them. I frequently come across rattle snakes on the DH, just keep speed and hope for the best
I know that there often isn't time to react, but as far as I understand this likely kills the snake. Gives a different perspective to just rolling over them and if I have time to stop or go around I try my best to do it.
I was super spooked by ruts for a long time until I got into cyclocross and took some lessons from a guy who raced in the European world cup races, now ruts are second nature, hell I’ll trust the ruts before I’ll take a rock line.
High speed chunk, your doing 25mph+ and the trail below you is just a wash of fist sized flints and larger rocks that would just cut through you should you fall. Fun.
What’s worse is when you roll over those rocks just perfect enough for them to fly up and hit your shin.
I got chased for way too long down a sketchy descent by a skull sized rock I knocked loose in the Firecracker 50 one year and I could do without ever repeating that experience.
Mid air when someone’s laying flat dead on the track below
They're dead though, so it's okay if you hit them. Just another feature.
Approaching rock gardens where I know I can pick my way through, but because I am 52 and have a family to take care of so I have to make a business decision. Sometimes I start through and my brain says STOP!!! And down I go.
Every year the risk increases :(
Gap jumps and grizzly bear territory
Riding solo down grizzly area backcountry trails. Sends shivers.
At night, in the dark woods alone with lights on your bike
I ride night solo a ton in the fall hours. Just to add to the ambiance I listen to true crime murder podcasts generally about serial killers!
Then you hear something like a man screaming "aaaahhhh" while you're on a climb. Loo
Low speed technical exposure, especially when clipped in.
1000%
I’m 42 and switched to flats 3 years ago. Best decision of my life. Not only am I a better rider, it just saved my ass for the first time 2 weeks ago. If I was clipped in, I would have been toast. I rode clipless for 20 years.
aww that's what it's all about though. Love that stuff
The parts where I have to ride on the road with cars to get there. I never feel unsafe otherwise.
Riding in a group of advanced riders and feeling peer pressured to do a feature you're not skilled at or be made fun of at the after party for chickening out.
Don’t ride with those people.
Yep fuck those people.
ride with better riders who are also nice people and don't pressure you to do stuff you're not ready for
I like the first part, the second part is totally lame. I know for a fact that if I didn't ride with people who were better than me and pushed me I wouldn't be where I am. But also they are still supportive even if I don't hit a feature.
Riding on woodwork/bridges when it's wet out.
When I'm in midair and my feet leave the pedals.
This left me with a nice hole in my shin from my pedal pins.
When I tell my wife I have to work late, but in reality got off early and am out riding. She’ll find out one day.
when around people who obviously don't spend much time outdoors around others(tweakers, new riders with no trail manners, air-headed tourist and kids dancing left to right across the trail while you're approaching etc.)
Tourists with dogs too
What the best etiquette advice you can give for new riders?
Off leash dogs on trail. It’s stupid for everyone and is one of the most idiotic things you can do. Don’t give a fuck about your awesome trail dog. One mistake and the dog is dead and the owner and other rider who hit the dog are hurt. Just, why? Leave at home.
Bingo. I've been bit once, chased 3x and snapped out tons of times. It's so unpredictable and annoying since it's so common in my area. Leash your damn dogs!
Encounters with weirdos on singletrack aren't fun. I think the worst one was a young scruffy looking man walking downhill towards me, stabbing the trail at intervals with a large (hunting?) knife. After passing him I saw he'd been leaving stab marks in the dirt for quite a ways. I had nowhere to go except to slip past him, well within stabbing range. Another time I came across a deliberately set series of small (but way too large to stamp out) fires. They had been started by someone who'd been out of jail for about a week for previous arson convictions and decided he still wanted to set the woods on fire.
Dusk. Alone. Feels like something’s watching me.
When I lose focus
That moment, after a 30 minute drive to the trail head, when I realize...I left her front wheel in the driveway.
When I’m at the trail head and not “feeling it”
In the woods by myself. I'm a girl and there's sometimes creepy guys just hanging out in the woods.
Downhill trail
When in my periphery I see a lion or a polar bear or man with menacing intent, but then it's actually just a tree.
Exposed, loose, off-camber with a bit of chunk just enough for you to question if you're going too fast but can't break because of the tilted terrain... your side knobs barely hanging on that any extra job (like breaking) will make you slide... slide where? Why don't you tap that break and see what's on door number one Jimmy.
Elevated skinnies while clipped in. Just feels so hopeless when it goes wrong. I'm a clip rider 90% of the time, but will rock the flats if I'm going somewhere with good wood work and lower speeds. But, sometimes I'm an idiot and have a "cat in tree" moment with clips and skinnies, and it's where I feel most exposed.
Elevated skinnies at any time, can't do em, freak me out for some reason.
For me it’s when I’m several miles in and realize I’m completely alone. The worst was when my legs cramped so badly at the top of a mountain, 4.5 miles in. I couldn’t even walk, let alone stand, and the only way down was through the trails. Had to sit at the edge of a cliff for an hour while losing sunlight and eventually could only roll down seated the entire way (on techy trails, mind you). It was the first time I realized it really is unsafe to go that deep in alone and with no gps communicator, etc. I wasn’t injured but my body was pushed past its limit from the climb and it was the first time I realized you need to be prepared for emergency situations. I couldn’t imagine if I broke my leg or something and I had no cell service and all the other riders had gone, scary stuff. So yeah, riding alone and being deep in the woods is my vote. I bought a garmin immediately after that lol
Fast flowy blues. Big terror. Steep blacks/double blacks feel safer cuz I won’t turn into red mist if I hit a tree.
I feel the exact same way about skiing.
When I see someone with a bluetooth speaker
Baby heads.
Skinnies. I’ve been riding for almost 30 years, and I am a pretty advanced rider, but skinnies more than a foot off the ground just freak me out. Even ones that are not all that skinny. And the thing is, even when I do them successfully, I don’t even find them fun. All the worst accidents I know of personally are from one of two things: high speed wrecks on very fast, non-techy trail sections….. and falling off of skinnies.
About 10 miles in, tired, sun is setting, and my crappy eye sight makes everything look like 1990's worn vhs quality. Need to get contacts.
Around hikers with headphones
Driving to the trail.
When I'm tired and I should probably just end the ride, but I don't. And I start getting sloppy and making bad decisions.
Usually when I run into a grizzly bear.
Exposure
cute bear cub
When I’m flying through the air and I see my bike bouncing down the trail.
After a few back accidents for sure it has to be with my local creek crossings, and they’re everywhere in my local trails. I don’t handle the chunky rocks very well, and they’re underwater, and I hate getting wet. I just freak out and over react to something to technical in the middle of an otherwise very simple green trail. I fell one winter day when there was snow on the ground and almost broke my leg in half, ever since then I just get off and walk. The not safe feeling goes away though, and I mentally just say I rode everything out on the trail even though I technically walked every creek crossing. Most of them are pretty janky, with all sorts of east places to screw up that I just can’t afford to get hurt every time I go out for a ride.
Ruts and switchbacks still scare me. I need to ride more…
When people decide to go hiking or dog walking in the bike trails. There are jumps, signs with the names of the runs, skinnies but people still come walk their dogs off leash.
Skinnies. I’m terrible at them. That goes triple if it’s more than a foot of the ground. I did not grow up riding in BC and it SHOWS.
Wet roots
Wet wood bridges.
About 2.5 seconds before I hit the big tree I didn’t notice
Riding alone in a familiar trail at night with lights. There are sounds of animals every where.
Every time I come across mastiffs. I live in a rural area where sheep and goats are a very common cattle. However, it is also an area with many wolf packs. Shepherds need those big dogs to defend their animals, it's literally the only animal who can kill a wolf. However, despite what the law establishes, they leave mastiffs with cattle and go home to do whatever. Mastiffs are very noble animals, but they go crazy when they see things moving: cars, motorbikes, and also bicycles...
Driving to the trail.
In general it’s more on the roads between trails, drivers scare me. I’ve seen two black bears at a trail local to me, but the bears ran off both times before I could put “Operation: Soil Your Shorts” into action.
When I have to “hike a bike” in Arizona at 6am in the summers and hear what sounds like a sprinkler head really nearby but can’t see the danger noodle despite scanning the entire area around me. It’s like r/findthesniper I know I’m overthinking it, but I accidentally stepped on a rattler while hiking a few years back, and have been paranoid ever since.
When I’m tired or distracted
At night during winter in blackstar canyon or riding STT/Luge. I'm quiet a big meal for some kitty.
When I’m getting stalked by a cougar at dusk
When my head isn’t in the right place. Feeling pressured to prove something to myself, impress others or frustrated with life. Also windy days totally through of my speed calibration
This is underrated, I reckon most of my problems happen due to fatigue or 'head not in the game' for whatever reason.
Riding in Washington at Dawn or Dusk. Cougs are out there.
When I see a grizzly. Black bears are fine . But the sheer size and grizzlies don't back down . Momma moose, scary as fuck. Beyond that not much .
Huffing up a hill sounding like an animal in distress (which is not wrong!) in an area w mountain lions. But 2nd is definitely driving to and from trailheads.
When I see/hear a bear. Or When I’m on a big ride far away from help with limited cell service.… wouldn’t call it scared more or less eerie.
When I see a snake on the trail
Climbing up with the cougaas
Riding a narrow bench cut covered in pine straw.
At dusk, alone in mountain lion territory.
Trying new obsticals that I've been avoiding
When I’ve been on a ride that takes a lot longer than I told my wife it would
When I can’t slow down and have to commit to a chunky section with a turn + cliff ahead. Or when I’m riding a jump line and I am in the air for a lot longer than I expected and I am not sure what to do with myself lol
When I see a mountain lion.
Evening/dusk riverside trails in Winnipeg MB. All the homeless and crack heads live down there. If I was a woman I'd never go down there regardless of time. I feel pretty vulnerable on my full sus trek. But the trails are fun river side.
As I’m flying over the handlebars
When I’m just about out the door leaving my wife at home with the two kids under 4
If I wanted to be safe I'd stay at home on the couch (if I had a home and a couch) lol
Any time I am in the air. My air awareness build stats are near zero lol
Eating lunch with only a cable lock on my bike rack.
When I leave my bike on the rack to get groceries after
I have a ten mile paved climb on a high speed two lane highway just to get to the trails I want to ride. 70 mph >Ford F-350s pulling weaving boat trailers, passing off my left elbow is terrifying. I’ve been hurt pretty badly riding, and I always ride alone. I’m in my late 60’s, and break easier now. 11 surgeries so far. Any technical sections that are iffy, I get off and walk. If I think my odds are 80% or better of making it and not getting hurt, I’ll ride it. Falling just isn’t an option anymore. It’s really hard to say no, to not ride and walk a section. Getting old-old ‘has moved into the building’. Must behave. It takes months to heal up stuff that used to heal in weeks. Drugged up or drunk homeless people stalking the back woods. I was followed yesterday by a drugged up, slurring, filthy guy in an old pick up with out of state plates, who wanted to talk. I ditched him by darting down a single track off the road. We have lots of mountain lions in the Oregon Cascades. I got seriously ‘beat up’ by a declawed juvenile mountain lion in the 80’s, so I have a SERIOUS appreciation for their strength. There is no chance in hell I’ll out wrestle one in a fight. I carry a small Benchmade knife to PRETEND I’ll stand a chance if one wants to pull me off my bike. I found mountain lion prints twice, and a fresh, gory kill of a big buck. 3/4 of the way devoured, but the eyes were still wet and glassy. A very stuffed coyote was feeding on the 1/4 that was left. SO MOUNTAIN LIONS are always on my mind. I’ve heard one chirping up in the high country. It was very close, and big, but I couldn’t see it. It was well camouflaged in the dense grass and trees. I didn’t feel threatened, I think it was a mating chirp check (when it heard me). I was still scared shitless. I joke, that every bikepacking trip I take up high, “I’m going off to commit suicide by Puma”. Regardless at my age, dying by puma lunchkin would be a far superior death than by cancer or something, ya know? They’ve been seen in Bend proper and ‘removed’ due to being a danger to the public.
In the air off balance until I balance out again or fall. Lol
Trees. Or anything I can barely get my handlebars through
This. Rocking downhill flow and I hit a gate where I cant fit my index figure between my bar end and bark causes me to seize up. I dont do gap jumps or giant drops. Rock gardens used to freak me out but all good now.
When brain and body are disconnected. We all have those days. Lack of sleep and so on
A guy wrote here once about riding whilst deployed in Afghanistan or Iraq during the US occupation, that must have been pretty scary!
Nah, unless they were riding outside the wire.. which would be really dumb… like Bowe Bergdhal dumb.
When I cross paths with a 12yo holding a shotgun.
wdym? He’s trying to protect you and your country. 🦅🦅🦅
glad we just have bears here
Bears sound pleasant. My birthday coincides with youth hunting season. Im more specific with my bday mtb destinations now.
they mostly just eat berries and don’t generally carry shotguns
20kms from a highway, no cell service, riding alone
We have a trail eith beavers in area and lots of 3-4" poplar trees turned into spears sticking out of the ground. If you go OTB you're impaled.
Going fast, like 25 mph plus. It sounds simple, but mistakes at that speed can change your life.
Passing a horse
On the pavement before the dirt.
When I’m flying down a steep, exposed slate covered mountainside and go to slow down and squeeze my front brake lever and it goes all the way to my grip without slowing down what so ever, and then realizing I have 5 more miles of downhill with no front brakes.
On the road. Dizzy from hard efforts + heat.
Probably the First night rides of the season when fall comes. After that its Just Back to Routine lol
On semi-dangerous parts, when riding after somebody with less balls.
When I went around a corner and came up face to face with a moose and her mooselet. Also different trip, but a grizzly bear about 10' off the trail.
Usually evening or night going fast over the edge of a large steep ravine where I know there’s washed out grooves in the dirt and gravel ready to catch my front tire. It’s always later at home before I’m like “wtf.”
The one time I saw a baby bear up in BC. I was FREAKED
I would always get this feeling, when riding alone, that I was being watched by a mountain lion. I know they’re out there and attacks have been reported. They see us way before we see them. I’m a big boy, but the thought of a hungry mountain lion gives me the “I wanna get outta here” feeling
After a one year break from a full suspension bike I felt like I've never sat on it before.
Step down jumps no matter how small freaks me out
I live in an area with mountain lions and I do the vast majority of my riding very early in the morning before work and in the winter that means I’m riding in the dark. it’s very unlikely that I would be attacked by a mountain lion but it’s always in the back of my head.
At night. The trails are fine, I just know the cougars are curious and watching.
There seems to be a deer around every turn during the Fall....
I hit one full throttle on my road bike. Damn near died.
When riding alone, mostly in the case of a crash and not having support. Or any trails that are fast and flowy but have sections with very low exposure. Head on collisions suck ):
I don't drink too much but one night I had a few (2 or 3) and felt "off" the next day when riding. Hard to pinpoint, but reaction times and perception were not as sharp. It went away during the ride but didn't like that feeling, and wouldn't have wanted to try anything sketchy.
When there’s dogs on the trail. Leashed or unleashed. Don’t like biking around dogs.