To be absolutely terrified of being on the road!

[ApignamedJasper]

I've just bought myself a cheap scooter for getting out & about on. Since I don't drive a car (yet) & live quite rurally it's very handy to be a bit more mobile but I'm absolutely terrified of being on the road!

I'm so bloody nervous to go out on it, I've done my cbt but other than that have only been out once on very quiet country roads and didn't manage to get past 30 as I felt quite sure I was going to die a horrible death at even that low speed.

Going faster than 20mph scares me, mud & grit on the road scare me, rain, darkness, other cars I'm just finding it all very intimidating tbh and I know I must be a pain in the arse to drive behind but I desperately need some practise to get my confidence and skills up but I'm just really scared!

Aibu to feel like this? Should I just get over it and woman up? Will I get less scared with time & practice?

My engine is new (refurbished) so I can't go more than 40 or so or I'll break it but when I'm approaching 30 my head is screaming at me 'STOP! TOO FAST!! YOURE GOING TO CRAAASH!' :D

I don't like motorbikes either & sounds like you aren't cut out for one (sorry).

Scooters and bikes are terrifying!

If you fall off you get hurt. I've just bought a pushbike and I'm too scared to get on it - and its a fucking tricycle and a fair bit harder to fall off.

Being in the car is much less scary

Lljkk thing is, I've been on the back of proper, big motorbikes doing almost triple figures & I love it! I want to work my way up to one eventually (although not triple figure speeds!) but in those cases it's been an experienced rider who's skills I trust and I don't trust myself yet not to fuck it up :/

For some reason Laurie, I find the idea of being in a car even more terrifying (although I haven't actually driven a car yet). Wrong way round really, I feel more confident about driving a bike than a car

Could you have more lessons or something to further experience?

Your confidence doesn't sound much and going at 20mph sounds quite hazardous tbh. Stay safe!

Ooh, I feel much safer on my pushbike than when I'm driving (at least the roads I drive on ).

Could you try going out at a really quiet time, say Sunday mornings to get used to it and starting to enjoy it before being in traffic and having that to deal with as well? That's what I did for motorway driving which I didn't enjoy!

Enjoy it. I used to ride a 500cc Suzuki and it would easily do 120mph.

It was good for getting home from work quickly. The last time I fell off a motorbike was in 1965. In thousands of miles in my Vespa I never fell off. I've fallen on my pedal bike on snow and ice a few times but never got hurt (apart from my pride).
Go for it, enjoy it, remember all you learned on you CBT and enjoy it.

I can't afford it at the moment flower :(

So far I've stuck to little empty country lanes or 30mph roads so the speed has not been an issue so far but soon I will need to go on bigger roads where 20 won't cut it.

I think that's what I need to do firsttime, I guess I just want some reassurance that this nervousness and fear will pass and I won't always feel like this

It will pass. My very first bike (some time ago) was not ideal for me a race-tuned GT125, which terrifed me. A biking friend grinned broadly when I said that, and asked, "Ah, but is it fear, or adrenaline?" It was pure, gut-wrenching terror. :(

Fortunately it was stolen, and I replaced it with a much calmer KC100, which I grew to love. Over time my confidence grew and my last bike was a GS1000.