The idea of crashing when riding a mountain bike is very real and inevitable. You can lose control making a sharp curve on the trail, flip (or endo) when you hit a bump, or lose control when trying to navigate an extra technical portion of the trail. Whatever the cause, it’s never fun. What’s worse is the fear of crashing causes us to crash more often. It makes us hesitate when we should trust our bike and our body. Creating a lasting change in our mindset and forgetting the fear of crashing takes time.

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1. Get a tune-up.

Whether you have just recently taken a header or are scared of the possibility, take your bike to the bike shop for a thorough check. Its optimal shape can help boost your confidence when you ride.

2. Be mentally prepared.

Like checking your equipment, being mentally prepared should be part of your check to determine your psychological readiness to ride.

3. Go riding with a friend and watch how they tackle the trail.

Sometimes when you’re riding, you’ll see a particularly gnarly portion of the trail, and you’ll think, “no way in hell is that possible.” But then you see how someone else eases through it, and it can unlock something in your brain, showing it’s possible and you can do it with confidence.

4. Get comfortable on and around your bike.

Focus on staying relaxed and keep calm as you sit on your bike. Avoid feeling tense. You can’t be anxious and comfortable at the same time. When you hit a spot that makes you nervous, sometimes it’s a good idea to stop riding, hike your bike back up where it’s easy to mount again and do your best to flow through the trail. If you’ve stopped right at the technical area, it’s more dangerous to try and tackle when your bike has no momentum.

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5. Baby steps

If you took a massive header while riding on a fairly technical trail, it’s okay to give yourself a break and ride the more beginner or intermediate trails. By gaining confidence on less punishing trails, you’re reminding yourself that you are a great mountain biker, and you can trust in your skills to tackle the gnarlier stuff.

6. Rethink what it means to crash

There will be crashes, and being afraid of them is entirely normal. It’s easy to think that crashing means you did something wrong or that you were foolish to attempt something so technical. Be kinder to yourself. When you crash, it doesn’t mean you were ill-prepared for the obstacle; it just means you made a mistake. Everyone makes mistakes. When thinking of crashing, try to think that it means you tried something faster or more challenging than you have ever done before. It means you’re trying to become a better rider. We’re all striving to become better riders. Learn from your mistakes and acknowledge that mistakes are part of the learning process.

The keys to overcoming the fear of crashing are having a rational relationship with the fear and establishing an effective way to deal with it. Fear leads to more crashes which leads to more fear. By following the tips above, you can help yourself overcome the fear of crashing and regain a sense of empowerment in the bike saddle.

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