The fear of bicycles, also known as cyclophobia, is like any other fear. A lot of times, bike fear has to do with riding a bike instead of getting anxious every time you see a bike. Some common symptoms of cyclophobia include rapid heartbeat, tunnel vision, feelings of dread, and other signs of anxiety that can range from mild to extreme symptoms where you are unable to move and have difficulty breathing.
The main treatment to overcome every fear is to understand why you have that fear and to redirect your unconscious so that you don’t become anxious when faced with whatever it is that you fear, in this case bicycles. Your fear of bikes may have stemmed from an early childhood experience where you hurt yourself while learning to ride a bike. Perhaps you witnessed an accident in which a bicyclist was killed.
Therapy and hypnosis have been effective in treating phobias. Talking to a therapist can uncover what exactly caused your fear. Many times, once you understand where the fear is coming from, you can change your behavior and overcome that fear. Hypnosis can be used to modify your behavior so that instead of feeling anxious when you ride or watch a bike, your body can feel something else, whether you’re relaxed or excited.
It is also possible to overcome this fear gradually with the support of your friends and family. If you feel anxious when looking at bikes, try spending more time in the presence of a bike. If you are afraid of riding a bike, you can practice sitting on a bike and get comfortable. Maybe you need to relearn how to ride a bike with training wheels and then take them off when you feel comfortable. You can also use a two person bike so that there is another person who can control the bike.