Overcoming fear

Not having ridden anything remotely technical since busting my collarbone last year except for one tentative and nervous run down to the hydro lab, I thought I'd ease back in today by trying the short section of trail that runs around the back of the nursing homes and ends at Allambie Oval.

The heavy rainfall from February to March has certainly had an effect: both on the trail, by eroding it more, deepening drop-offs and uncovering more rocks and roots to catch unwary riders; and on me - I'm *super* rusty. The trail is a very different beast from when I last rode it.

There was one rocky step-down that I baulked at, so I decided to session it. I jumped off the bike and rolled it over the step to make sure I wasn't going to grind the chainring into the rock. Hmmm... a wise move: less than an inch to spare. There's a rock sticking up right in front of where the front wheel's gonna land that I definitely wanna miss. But there's a narrow line to the left of it that will work. Check.

Went back, got on the bike, rolled slowly through and down, pushing bike forward and bum back, felt the seat whack me on the sternum, through no problem, that was easy. Hmmm. Too easy. That felt like a bit of a fluke, actually. Better do it again.

Second attempt: didn't quite hit the correct wheel-track, was a couple of inches too far right, bumped the rock, the back wheel came right up but I rolled out of it. Not good enough.

Third attempt: Feeling nervous, looked right at the rock I wanted to avoid, hit it, back came up real fast and I had to step out of the bike to stop the OTB and then scramble to avoid toppling over to the right. Got a nice tyre scrape down my inside thigh. Hmm... this isn't going according to plan.

Stand at the top of the roll-down and eyeball the line again, and visualise the approach and body movements in my head. OK, got it imprinted. Stay further left.

Fourth attempt: Definitely feeling nervous. Eyes on the line, roll over the lip, push bike forward and bum back, stay left of the wheel-catcher, saddle hits solar plexus, tilt right to avoid stump, roll out, done. That was better. Go again.

Five and six: Not exactly relaxed, but a replay of four. Cool. This is starting to come back. OK, that's enough for now.

I repeated the process (stop, check, mental rehearsal, ride) on the last set of roll-downs coming into the oval and nailed it first time.

I am riding with the seatpost about an inch higher than six months ago, so that will take some adapting to, but this feels like a good start. Baby steps...