Negative thoughts before riding

2/3/2017 5:49pm
Ive been riding for a couple of years now and this wasn't so much before hand when I first started but after a year of riding I just started having these negative thoughts as soon as I got my bike such as "what if I fall off" and I just keep thinking about crashing when I'm riding and it really isn't good as I feel it knocks my confidence when riding hugely and I feel like I ever can improve I love this sport so much but I don't know why I feel like this riding bikes is my favourite thing to do and makes me so happy but recently I don't know why I've started to think so negatively I see my friends and I'm the slowest out of all of them as well which doesn't help I wanna be up the top battling it out with them! But I can't seem to I always end up being in a bad mood on a good day of ridingSad does anyone have any advice to help me over come these thoughts i would
Appreciate it extremely!!!
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VilloFan951
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Moreno Valley, CA US
2/3/2017 5:52pm
I have the same issue, it sometimes goes away when riding I just get lost in the fun I'm having but I would like to know how to make this go away
pete24
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Marlborough, MA US
2/3/2017 5:52pm
ive been racing for 35 years when i go to the line sometimes i think about the "what if" then i say fuck it i could get run down by a drunk and id be fucked up at least this way im fucking myself up
so if you not ready to say fuck it then try golf
lostboy819
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2/3/2017 5:59pm
Ive been riding for a couple of years now and this wasn't so much before hand when I first started but after a year of riding...
Ive been riding for a couple of years now and this wasn't so much before hand when I first started but after a year of riding I just started having these negative thoughts as soon as I got my bike such as "what if I fall off" and I just keep thinking about crashing when I'm riding and it really isn't good as I feel it knocks my confidence when riding hugely and I feel like I ever can improve I love this sport so much but I don't know why I feel like this riding bikes is my favourite thing to do and makes me so happy but recently I don't know why I've started to think so negatively I see my friends and I'm the slowest out of all of them as well which doesn't help I wanna be up the top battling it out with them! But I can't seem to I always end up being in a bad mood on a good day of ridingSad does anyone have any advice to help me over come these thoughts i would
Appreciate it extremely!!!
Someone told me this years ago and I live by it.

"Life has a 100% fatality rate so no one gets out alive" Think about it and then quit worrying about bad stuff because the bottom line is we are all gonna die. WinkCool

The Shop

TeamGreen
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2/3/2017 6:01pm Edited Date/Time 2/3/2017 6:02pm
Ride wheelies and Blast berms for fun...those thoughts will be forever gone in about 20 seconds
TbonesPop
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2/3/2017 6:03pm
Say a prayer before you ride, it works.
Frodad78
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2/3/2017 6:04pm
A daily meditation practice can be very helpful. Over time you learn that your thoughts are just thoughts, bringing awareness to your body, or breathing can instantly shut down those thoughts. It takes practice but it can be very rewarding and you can use it in any situation that may bring some type of anxiety. I've dealt with it since I was in about the 3rd grade and its literally the best thing I've ever found to help me when my mind starts racing.

reded
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2/3/2017 6:09pm
That's kinda deep Fro. I'm more the type that just shuts the thoughts off and tell myself, "this could be the best day ever, so suck it up and go have fun." Hasn't failed me yet, my next of kin will inform you when it does.
scooter5002
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Nanton Alberta CA
2/3/2017 6:14pm
Rub one out, while changing, if need be. Should take care of any worries or tension. Used to do it all the time, on raceday, although the the other guys on the starting line seemed a little uncomfortable with it.
305FC250
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Miami, FL US
2/3/2017 6:19pm
I usually get that feeling at first but once I get flowing a bit then it goes away. It's especially bad when hitting a jump thats new or just big, whoops too, pretty much any of the riskier stuff... Not because I'm scared to get hurt but because I'm scared to get hurt and then not be able to pay bills, ect. Already happened once and it was rough. So that thought eats away at me and makes me scared to push my limits higher cause I have to think "damn I need to go to work tomorrow I can't fuck myself up". Being an adult sucks lol.
2/3/2017 6:19pm
This may sound crazy, but if you ride faster, you will have to concentrate so you're no longer thinking about fear.
reded
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2/3/2017 6:23pm
Rub one out, while changing, if need be. Should take care of any worries or tension. Used to do it all the time, on raceday, although...
Rub one out, while changing, if need be. Should take care of any worries or tension. Used to do it all the time, on raceday, although the the other guys on the starting line seemed a little uncomfortable with it.
Got me chuckling....
byke
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Auburn, CA US
2/3/2017 6:27pm
I get it, but it goes away the moment I start riding. If I'm in the truck and it's bothering me more than I like, I just turn it into comedy by greatly exaggerating the thoughts. As in, "fuuuuck yeahhhh, I'm gonna stoppie into the porta potty at 50mph and then poke people in the eye with my compound fractures, it's gonna be a sweet day!!".
Giygas
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2/3/2017 6:36pm
Ive been riding for a couple of years now and this wasn't so much before hand when I first started but after a year of riding...
Ive been riding for a couple of years now and this wasn't so much before hand when I first started but after a year of riding I just started having these negative thoughts as soon as I got my bike such as "what if I fall off" and I just keep thinking about crashing when I'm riding and it really isn't good as I feel it knocks my confidence when riding hugely and I feel like I ever can improve I love this sport so much but I don't know why I feel like this riding bikes is my favourite thing to do and makes me so happy but recently I don't know why I've started to think so negatively I see my friends and I'm the slowest out of all of them as well which doesn't help I wanna be up the top battling it out with them! But I can't seem to I always end up being in a bad mood on a good day of ridingSad does anyone have any advice to help me over come these thoughts i would
Appreciate it extremely!!!
I feel that way before every ride, especially at a new track. After a few laps, I get in my zone. That little "fear" is one of the main reasons motocross is special to me. I've yet to find something to emulate the feeling of overcoming these little "fears" i.e. Nailing a new section/jump, railing a berm just right, etc.
erik_94COBRA
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2/3/2017 6:39pm
pete24 wrote:
ive been racing for 35 years when i go to the line sometimes i think about the "what if" then i say fuck it i could...
ive been racing for 35 years when i go to the line sometimes i think about the "what if" then i say fuck it i could get run down by a drunk and id be fucked up at least this way im fucking myself up
so if you not ready to say fuck it then try golf
Truth.

Put your focus in the moment, not the what if. When you're in the zone you won't worry about anymore.
wfo4ever
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2/3/2017 6:41pm Edited Date/Time 2/3/2017 6:49pm
Negative thoughts are not a good thing. Have fun, stay positive, and most of all have very good protective equipment and health insurance. Also a lot of money saved up if you are out of work from injury.
Katoomey
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2/3/2017 6:43pm Edited Date/Time 2/3/2017 6:44pm
You just need more time on the bike. Practicing real techniques.. When you can successfully apply those techniques you can gain a ton of confidence. It's hard to doubt yourself when you prove to yourself that you know what you are doing.

I've been riding since I was 4 or 5 and it wasn't until I was in my mid teens that I started learning and practicing real techniques, like weighting pegs and gripping the bike with my legs. I never had a problem with big whoops and big jumps, but I was just a huge pussy in flat corners, especially big long sweepers. I just didn't have the confidence to let it go fully cocked through a turn and twist it.

My first job was a tech at a H-D dealership and the owner was an AMA Pro flat tracker. He had a little 1/16 mile circle track behind the shop and a pile of Honda XR100's set up for flat tracking. He showed me the ropes of riding sideways. Within a few short months and few hundred laps I could get completely sideways on any bike without any trepidation.

The moral of the story is, If I hadn't learned the techniques from someone who knew them, and if I didn't spend the time to practice those techniques, I'd still be a huge pussy in flat corners...almost 15 years later.
2/3/2017 6:46pm
You have anxiety, everyone has those thoughts you just focus on them more than normal people.

Learn to ignore them.
aroark247
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TX US
2/3/2017 7:20pm
I have made it to a good local A class speed, and still have horrifying thoughts on the line. I regularly envision being landed on and dying or crashing with a hand caught in between the sprocket, hitting a fence wide open etc.

It's dark, but those are all a realistic possibility. To me it's gotten to a superstition level like I have to accept the possibilities so my world isn't shattered if it happens. Like my buddy lostboy819 said above. We are all going to die someday it's better to just accept it and move on.
Phantom 661
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Torrance, CA US
2/3/2017 7:21pm
Katoomey wrote:
You just need more time on the bike. Practicing real techniques.. When you can successfully apply those techniques you can gain a ton of confidence. It's...
You just need more time on the bike. Practicing real techniques.. When you can successfully apply those techniques you can gain a ton of confidence. It's hard to doubt yourself when you prove to yourself that you know what you are doing.

I've been riding since I was 4 or 5 and it wasn't until I was in my mid teens that I started learning and practicing real techniques, like weighting pegs and gripping the bike with my legs. I never had a problem with big whoops and big jumps, but I was just a huge pussy in flat corners, especially big long sweepers. I just didn't have the confidence to let it go fully cocked through a turn and twist it.

My first job was a tech at a H-D dealership and the owner was an AMA Pro flat tracker. He had a little 1/16 mile circle track behind the shop and a pile of Honda XR100's set up for flat tracking. He showed me the ropes of riding sideways. Within a few short months and few hundred laps I could get completely sideways on any bike without any trepidation.

The moral of the story is, If I hadn't learned the techniques from someone who knew them, and if I didn't spend the time to practice those techniques, I'd still be a huge pussy in flat corners...almost 15 years later.
I think Katoomey is right about needing more time on the seat. I don't believe it's negativity as much as it is fear and apprehension. It takes time to develop confidence. When I rode alone in the Mojave Desert I concentrated on what my machine could do for me and not what it might do to me. Easier said than done of course. Hope things settle down a bit so you can enjoy riding.
gabrielito
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Saint Paul, MN US
2/3/2017 7:24pm
Ive been riding for a couple of years now and this wasn't so much before hand when I first started but after a year of riding...
Ive been riding for a couple of years now and this wasn't so much before hand when I first started but after a year of riding I just started having these negative thoughts as soon as I got my bike such as "what if I fall off" and I just keep thinking about crashing when I'm riding and it really isn't good as I feel it knocks my confidence when riding hugely and I feel like I ever can improve I love this sport so much but I don't know why I feel like this riding bikes is my favourite thing to do and makes me so happy but recently I don't know why I've started to think so negatively I see my friends and I'm the slowest out of all of them as well which doesn't help I wanna be up the top battling it out with them! But I can't seem to I always end up being in a bad mood on a good day of ridingSad does anyone have any advice to help me over come these thoughts i would
Appreciate it extremely!!!
You might have OCD or another anxiety issue.
yzjs7
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Antioch, CA US
2/3/2017 7:26pm
I struggle with this too. All I want to do is ride and it's all I think about. Yet when it comes to doing it I start getting anxious and nervous. I just push through it and take it easy at first, then the confidence kicks in and I tell myself "hey i do know what I'm doing". When I can't shake it tho I need to pack it up or take less risk as I'm currently recovering from injury.
KDM711
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Temecula, CA US
2/3/2017 7:39pm Edited Date/Time 2/3/2017 7:42pm
Ive been riding for a couple of years now and this wasn't so much before hand when I first started but after a year of riding...
Ive been riding for a couple of years now and this wasn't so much before hand when I first started but after a year of riding I just started having these negative thoughts as soon as I got my bike such as "what if I fall off" and I just keep thinking about crashing when I'm riding and it really isn't good as I feel it knocks my confidence when riding hugely and I feel like I ever can improve I love this sport so much but I don't know why I feel like this riding bikes is my favourite thing to do and makes me so happy but recently I don't know why I've started to think so negatively I see my friends and I'm the slowest out of all of them as well which doesn't help I wanna be up the top battling it out with them! But I can't seem to I always end up being in a bad mood on a good day of ridingSad does anyone have any advice to help me over come these thoughts i would
Appreciate it extremely!!!
Dude seriously You to start using MindFX. Go to the website mind-fx.com and order sum free samples. This stuff increases you PMA (Postive Mental Attitude)
speed_racer
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2/3/2017 8:40pm
Great post, I have dealt with thoughts.

Thoughts are powerful, and we learn with age "if you think it, possibly it will happen".
30 years ago I asked someone with wisdom about this very subject, this was their explanation.

(Thoughts are powerful and negative thoughts about yourself, or your loved ones can creep into the mind.,
After the bad thought say in your mind CANCEL CANCEL CANCEL, this in fact cancels the bad mojo.)

Been doing this forever, driving to the track I think we could flip our truck, why would I ever think this?
No big deal, I just say CANCEL CANCEL CANCEL and go about my day.
I've always been grateful I believed that person and they told me that bit of life knowledge. Hope it helps you.
Of course we have to train the mind to think positively, meditation is rad for that.




SVT-Cobra
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AL US
2/3/2017 9:47pm
Pervasive thoughts, it could easily be from the stress of doing something like motocross, but people with PTSD, OCD, and ADHD are more prone to experience them (I'm not attempting a diagnosis on you, just relating my experience as I was diagnosed with one of the three). I have experienced pervasive thoughts both related and un-related to riding. Don't try not to think about it, confront it--the more you try to push them away the more your conscious will fixate on it. Trust me, it used to keep me up for hours trying to fight them off until I learned how to handle them. A lot of the times these thoughts are fixated on the fact that you AREN'T in control, that you could do something or something could happen to you against your will. When I would experience the riding related ones I would always reassure myself that I am responsible and I will not push myself past my limits, as long as I learn riding in a safe manner then I will dramatically reduce my risk of serious injury. It took me a year to jump everything at my home track, and I felt crappy sometimes because some people would come there and jump everything after only riding for maybe 4 months. I went to the track one day and I knew I was ready....the next weekend I had everything down comfortably.
joeellis
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Wilson, NC US
2/3/2017 10:05pm Edited Date/Time 2/3/2017 10:06pm
Great thread. I think most of us experience these thoughts at times if not every time we ride. There's some great advice here. And some damn funny advice too.
BobPA
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2/3/2017 10:13pm
Happens to me after a long layoff. Coming back after a long time away from the bike really puts my head in a bind. After a few slow laps I usually hit a corner just right and remember how awesome a dirt bike is. Then I tip over, break a lever, and go home teary eyed.
jeffro503
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St Helens, OR US
2/3/2017 10:35pm
joeellis wrote:
Great thread. I think most of us experience these thoughts at times if not every time we ride. There's some great advice here. And some damn...
Great thread. I think most of us experience these thoughts at times if not every time we ride. There's some great advice here. And some damn funny advice too.
I agree. Great thread! Lots of great advice in here. Some interesting ones too.
Steve125
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CT US
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2/3/2017 11:10pm
Listen to music.. really loud. drown out those negative voices in your head and go to the line pumped to kick some ass.

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