How to Deal with the Fear of Cycling After a Bike Accident

When it comes to being involved in any kind of accident, such traumatic experiences can make your brain fear the risk of being in a similar situation again. For many cyclists who experience a bike crash, this is no different and they may struggle to get back on the road again when going through their bike crash recovery.

Whether you’ve sustained an injury from colliding with a vehicle or have simply fallen off your bike after crashing into something on the road, getting over the fear of being back on your bike can be a stressful time for a biking enthusiast.

In this article, we’ve shared the four tips that you can use to get over your fear of cycling after an accident, along with some simple things to remember throughout your bike accident recovery:

Give yourself bike crash recovery time

If you’ve been involved in a bike crash, the fear of getting back on your bike may be too overwhelming to begin with. For this reason, don’t force yourself to get back out there straight away.

Not only does putting extra pressure on yourself heighten your senses whilst cycling and cause you to over-concentrate, but it could cut-short the time you need to mentally recover from the crash.

Consult your doctor for the best bike accident recovery regime

If the injuries that you sustained after your bike crash means that you’ll need to re-build your strength before getting back on your bike, you should consult the advice of your doctor.

Often forming an essential part of any bike crash recovery, rehabilitation may be required to help your muscles repair and rebuild strength. Whatever your doctor advises, it’s important to implement the advice given to ensure that you’re safe to cycle on the road and are not putting your body at further risk.

Build-up your confidence gradually

One of the biggest impacts that a cycling accident can have on your life is the knock it has on your confidence. Psychological effects of a bike crash are often the longest-lasting effects of being involved in a crash and could mean that you see yourself as a less-confident cyclist. However, you don’t have to let this put you off getting back out there!

If you don’t feel confident enough to head straight for busy roads when getting over your fear of cycling after an accident, start with smaller journeys in quieter areas. Not only will this help your body get used to cycling again, but it gives your mind time to adjust to being back on your bike.

Set targets to beat your fear of cycling

Once you’ve fully recovered from your physical injuries, you could set yourself attainable targets until you reach the same fitness levels you had pre-accident.

This could be as simple as riding for 15 minutes each day or cycling to work at least once a week. Remember that the key to setting goals is to make sure they’re difficult but not impossible, so remember this when easing back into cycling.

As you can see, being involved in a bike crash doesn’t mean that you have to live in fear of getting back on your bicycle. But whilst cycling on the road is usually very safe, unfortunately, accidents to occur.

If you’ve experienced a cycling injury that wasn’t your fault, don’t forget that you may be eligible to claim compensation. To discuss your options further, contact a cycling accident solicitor today and help begin your bike accident recovery.