The Fear of Riding in Front of Others and How to Work Through It
3/20/20261 hr 5 min
There’s a side of motorcycle training almost no one talks about — the mental pressure of learning new skills in front of other riders. Why can training make you feel like you’ve suddenly gotten worse before you get better? Why does confidence sometimes drop even when your skills are improving? Through rider Erik Wilkinson’s experience, along with insights from expert trainer Chris Birch and Monica Birch, we explore what’s really happening in your mind during training — and how to manage it so you come out a stronger, more confident rider.
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Clips
Transcript preview
First 90 secondsJim Martin· Host0:00
One of the best investments you can make in yourself as a rider is training. The idea is simple. You go, you learn new skills, you come out a better rider. But that's not what always happens because sometimes it's not the terrain or our skills that get in the way, it's what's happening inside our heads. The pressure of riding in front of others, the pressure of making mistakes where everyone can see, and that strange feeling that in order to improve, we first feel like we've actually lost skills that we thought we already had. It's something that most riders experience in training or even just on a group ride, but it's rarely talked about. So in this episode, we're going to look at what's really happening in those moments, why it affects us the way it does, and very importantly, how to work through it so the experience builds confidence instead of eroding it. I'm Jim Martin. This is Adventure Rider Radio. Stay with us. We got a good one for you.
Speaker 20:57
[upbeat music] Hi, I'm Sam Manicom.
Monica Birch· Guest1:02
Jed Simon. Austin Vince. Simon Pavey. Helge Gabeldorf. Jocelyn Snow.
Eric Wilkinson· Guest1:05
Charlie Boorman.
Monica Birch· Guest1:06
Simon Thomas.
Eric Wilkinson· Guest1:07
Lisa Tobitsch.
Monica Birch· Guest1:08
Grant Johnson. Jimmy Lewis. Liam Jarvis.
Eric Wilkinson· Guest1:10
Chris Birch.
Monica Birch· Guest1:11
Tiffany Cove. Herbert Schwarz. Quentin Smoke. Karalee Schoolmaker.
Speaker 21:14
And you're listening to Adventure Rider Radio.
Jim Martin· Host1:17
[motorcycle revving] And Green Chili Adventure Gear offers American-made heavy-duty luggage systems for all types of motorcycles. You can turn any dry bag into