anyone afraid of their road bike?

:D it will get better!! I have to admit that while I am dying to get my bike outside again I am also sooooo nervous!! I bought clipless pedals and shoes last fall and only got outside on them for a few rides before it was time for the trainer.   I get that my beautiful road bike is intended for speed and power but it is very intimidating!!  Maybe it's just that i feel so uncertain handling the bike in many situations and I definitely don't want to be a spaz in traffic.  I have been getting over my fear slowly by going to safer places to ride when i have gotten out ... there are bike paths that let me work up my confidence before i dare to spend much time on real roads and riding with the shoes and such on my trainer gets me more used to it.

You have plenty of time to get comfortable on your bike between now and your race.  Switch bikes when necessary but it would be a shame to let your new bike go to waste, wouldn't it?

Very, very normal.  When I went from my hybrid to my road bike, it was definitely freaky for a while

I'd say in 2 months you'll be much more comfortable on it and be fine for the race.  I had only had my road bike a couple weeks when I did my first race. (I did wait until later to go w/the clipless pedals though - if I'd gotten the clipless pedals installed right off the bat, I probably wouldn't have used that bike in a race so soon.)

And it is exciting - just in that terrifying, heart stopping kind of way.

I was in a similar situation as you last year.  I had somehow decided to attempt a try-a-tri, but I had only previously ridden MTB.  I knew there was no way I could ride a MTB for 20k w/o burning myself out, so I borrowed a bike from a friend who just happened to have a Cannondale tri bike.

I was SOOO glad I took it out for a test ride because the ride was a TOTAL shocker for someone who had never ridden on a road bike.

The ride was soooo twitchy I couldn't believe it. The geometry of the bike and the narrow tires made the ride very scary for me.  The lack of suspension on a carbon frame was scary as well as I was afraid the bike would break if I hit a sewer cover.  I spent most of the time ridding on the bullhorns and didn't dare get into the aero position unless the road was perfectly clear with no stops.  

I went to the race and it wasn't as bad as the road was closed and I could stay on the aero bars.  However, getting my waterbottle out of the seat tube was a completely nightmare.  Reaching down to grab the bottle was near impossible.  After 5+ attempts to reach down, I was finally able to grab it.  Then I couldn't get it back into the cage.  I held the bottle for another 3 km before I managed to stick it back in.  I didn't dare to attempt it again.

 So don't worry.  You're not the only person uncomfortable on a road bike  I just bought myself a Specialized Transition as well and... I haven't hit the road yet.  Too scared :P

I made the same switch and it took some time to feel comfortable on the road bike.  Try to find some quiet roads and keep at it - no problem by June.

Ed

it took me a while to adjust from hybrid to road bike.  I am now very comfortable on my road bike. My bike handling is improving but not where I want it...I also have a tri bike and I am getting more comfortable with her.  I feel more vulnerable in aero when I'm alone on roads since most of my area has no shoulder to ride on....

Be patient and keep at it.

You will get used to it--and fairly quickly. You just have to force yourself to stay out there. Don't do anything dumb or unsafe, but keep exposing yourself (hehehehehehehehehe) to riding outside, on the roads, near traffic, etc.

Also, if you have a trainer, it's a good way to get some practice clipping in and out, and to get ocmfy in the aero position w/out as much of a threat of falling over.

ETA: I know it may be hard, but RELAX. That is the BEST thing you can do. An anxious, tightened up rider is a rider who gets the yips. You don't want that. It's much easier to handle your bike and to avoid any hazards that may occur when you are loose and relaxed.

I agree find someplace quiet to ride. Is there a bike path near you without cars? Or rural road with wide shoulders? If you need some suggestions where to ride do some searches for bike clubs in your area, ask a LBS, or other triathletes where to ride.

Here in MA there is a map sold at LBS that highlights roads to ride on and rates them from good roads to ride on to marginal roads.

It will get better..you'll have a blast and you will be fun!

Enjoy the journey to your first tri!

I think any time you switch from one type of bike/riding to another this happens.  I grew up in the 70's when road bikes were the norm (although my first bike had a way cool banana seat.  I ran into one at a flea market recently and thought about getting it for my racing bike, if only for the irony of it).  So I've always been comfortable on road bikes.  My daughter has only ridden mountain bikes, and when I gave my old racing bike, she hated it - hated the twitchy response, hated having the shifters on the downtube (it's an older bike), hated the hand position for the brakes.

OTOH, when I first got my mountain bike, I was petrified on the trails.  I still get anxious at the beginning of each year when I start using my bike off-road.  Even though I am going a lot slower than I do on the road.

You and me both sister. And I didn't even go clipless yet...

I was absolutely terrified of my road bike when I got it.  I was scared I would hurt it, scratch it, do something wrong, or break it. When I rode it, I was scared to leave the neighborhood b/c "something" might happen. I had difficulty controlling it.

I started going on short group rides, and riding it more, and I've gotten 10x more comfortable with it. Don't get me wrong, it still scares me, and I'm scared of it, but we're getting along better. It all comes with time and practice.

Now, speed....yea I'm still scared of that. I topped out at 44 the other week and nearly pooped myself.

I'm planning on continuing to hate it, so I will be pleasantly surprised if that changes.

I would have to disagree with you that Hybrids are designed to be bad at everything. I have ridden a road bike or two (by no means a ton though) but I own a hybrid for one purpose right now which is commuting. After talking to lots of people my hybrid trek is perfectly suited for hauling me and all my work crud to and from work when I ride it for that. When I take it out for rec/training rides granted it is not as fast but it can still hit decent speeds and it does use 700x35cc tires so it has less rolliing resistance than something using MTBike tires.

anyway Road Bikes are fun, practice and you will not even miss your hybrid for training rides in no time!

Echo everyone above--it WILL get better. Also ditto the advice on finding a quiet street or trail where you can practice stopping/clipping in-n-out/shifting gears--over and over! The more you do it, the more confident you will be when there are distractions around. 

I spent nearly my whole tri life in an upright position with riser bars--even through my first HIM!--and am just now making the transition to a road bike. It definitely gets better, but everything does take getting used to, and there's an awful lot to keep track of.