Confidence doesn’t arrive all at once

Why experience, age and confidence don't always arrive in the order you'd expect.

Many people assume confidence is something you either have or don't have. In reality, it's built gradually through experience. Every time we try something challenging and discover that we can do it, we add another small piece to the puzzle. Over time, those small successes start to change how we see ourselves and what we believe we're capable of.

Another ingredient in the confidence recipe is being able to view the inevitable setbacks as a learning experience rather than blaming ourselves for failure. And if we can see others similar to ourselves overcoming challenges, it can help build our belief that we could do the same.

Confidence challenges

Common situations where riders might lack confidence are when they're moving from road riding to off-road riding, or when they're returning after a long break. Some of the skills are already in place, but they need to work out, or revisit, when and where they apply – and where they don’t. And there are new skills to learn too.

Trying something new is often a time that challenges our confidence. That might be riding on an unfamiliar type of terrain, navigating a new route, learning how to negotiate an obstacle or riding with a different group of people. Many of us feel nervous before a ride because we know we are going to face challenges – to do with the bike, the terrain, the group or even ourselves, whether that’s our physical fitness or our emotions.

You don’t have to grow up riding dirt bikes!

One of the biggest misconceptions about off-road riding is that everyone started as a child on a motocross bike. The reality can be very different.

I came to off-road riding as a middle-aged woman. Like many people, I worried whether I was strong enough, skilled enough or brave enough. I’d ridden road bikes for many years, but the world of off-road bikes was all new – and it seemed like everyone else knew exactly what they were doing. As a woman entering what can seem like a very male-dominated world, that was intimidating at times too.

Jenny explores a ditch

What I discovered was that most riders are still learning too and many are incredibly welcoming to others on a learning journey. Confidence isn't something you arrive with; it's something you build ride by ride.

Sharing the ups and downs

For most riders, developing confidence is not a smooth slope. It doesn’t matter whether we’re only just starting to ride off-road, or if we’ve been doing it for years and are trying out new techniques - everyone learning new skills will experience moments when our confidence takes a knock and we realise just how much we still have to learn.

That’s where a supportive environment can make a big difference. Spending time with others who are positive and encouraging – both those who we can learn from, and those who are also learning – can accelerate our confidence building.

We need to feel safe to fail – that we’re not going to be harshly judged and rejected. When we’re overly self-critical, we benefit from a kinder reality check from others. Supportive friends often help by pointing out the progress we haven’t noticed we’re making. And when others celebrate our successes with us, we feel motivated and encouraged.  

All of this helps us to keep moving forward, realising that we are making progress, discovering that we able to do more than we thought, and step by step, gaining confidence in our capabilities.

 Confidence looks different for everyone

Confidence isn’t always about riding faster, tackling bigger obstacles or taking more risks. Sometimes confidence means returning to riding after years away. Sometimes it's helping another rider through a difficult section, staying calm when things don't go to plan, or simply riding at a pace that feels right for you.

It's worth looking back occasionally and recognising how far we've come. Sometimes we focus so much on what we still want to achieve that we forget to celebrate what we've already done. Sometimes the achievement isn't conquering a difficult obstacle - it's simply having the confidence to swing a leg over the bike and head out for a ride.

Experience, age and confidence don't always arrive in the order we expect. Someone may have decades of riding experience and still feel nervous when trying something new, while another rider may be new to the sport but willing to tackle challenges that seem daunting to others.

Every rider starts somewhere. Every rider has moments of doubt. And every rider continues to learn. Confidence doesn't arrive all at once. It grows one ride, one challenge and one small success at a time.