well, ya suffer from vertigo?! if so, there's not really much ya can do about it, except maybe psychotherapy, or hypnosis or the like?!
as a famous writer's carachter's party piece goes: 'it's not heights i am afraid of, 'tis depths...'

As a matter of fact I do have vertigo due to holes in my eardrums.  (Someday I'll get those fixed)  It usually doesn't bother me flying airplanes or riding bikes, just looking down from high (or not so high) places.

 psychotherapy, or hypnosis or the like?!

As far as psychotherapy probably not, seen enough of them growing up...
Hypnosis?  I don't think anybody needs to be in there, you never know what they might let out...

Maybe back to "It is what it is...deal with it" thing.

Take it slow and concentrate on the road After awhile you won't mind the heights - besides it not the fall from the height that hurts - it's the sudden stop at the bottom that smarts!

When I get scared on the bike I just keep my eyes closed !!!!!!
(Gawd, I'm sure glad I don't scare easy !!!!)

Does it kind of feel like it gets 'narrower' or something like that? I had a bout with vertigo some years ago and they never could come up with a diagnosis or 'cure' if you will. We have a fairly narrow 2 lane bridge that goes over to Whidbey Island (Deception Pass) and driving across that sucker with a class 8 truck really freaked me out. Had to focus strictly on the bridge and not look over the sides... interesting how many folks are affected by this!

You could always move to so AZ. Pretty flat out here!!!

I'm sure as a kid you had no fear of heights, kids have very little fear of anything. The best I can tell you is the more you do it, the less it will scare you.

I used to have a fear of heights, as bad as Lucky, until I took the only job I could find...working on an oil rig. First day on the job they told me to go to the top and change the beacon light bulb. Man I seriously debated walking out right there, but I did it. I took me about an hour to climb the ladder, one step every 30 seconds or so. Shaking like a leaf I never looked down. Now years later, I go up there for a break sometimes just to enjoy the view!!!

I don't like heights, never have. The first time i ever flew, when i was about 53 yrs. old, i simply took my prescription of Xanax along. That stuff settles your nerves right down. I moved to a window seat, and enjoyed the view, at 37,000 feet.

Funny, because when I am on an airplane it doesn't seem to bother me at all. I think once I am that high up I loose the sense of height all together.

No sure if Xanax would be a good solution for RaceAngel before riding a mountain road ;)

It's nice to know there are others out there that have some of the same feelings as me with heights. I recently went on a poker run to Hells Kitchen up the Ortega Mountian in So. Calif. I had the same feelings but probably a little worse because it didn't have any guardrails excepts at the top where the turns are. My son had put some music on my MP3 player and just as I was going up the mtn. some sound track came on from the movie Nightmare before Christmas. (My daughter is kind of different with her music) and I freaked out. I thought shutting off the music would be better but it broke my concentration more. I changed the music as quickly as I could and concentrated on the road. I told myself I had 10 ft. of earth, stay on it. I think I will be just fine if I would just quit looking over the sides. I have painted a 120 x 40 ft. murals 12 storys up on the side of a building downtown L.A. Painted billboards out in Palm Springs and go up in buckets hundreds of feet. The difference is I am tied off somehwere. I don't like the scissor lifts because they sway back and forth too much. Especially with an apprentice that likes to "rock the boat". I have vertigo, fear of hieghts, claustrophobic and hate little planes but I'm training for my pilots license. For some reason flying don't bother me because I'm too busy learning. I'll be just fine, I've never let anything stop me from doing anything I want to do. Don't see myself holding back now.

THIS A REAL POST ??

ive snow on ma heed .its cold far i am .

Raceangel, i got my pilots license in 2001 and am extremely fearful of heights. I spent a few years in the Navy as a rescue swimmer as well. Jumping out of the helo or hanging out as a spotter never bothered me. BUT, if I climb anything I get an aching in my gut and my arms and legs feel like what I can only describe as being on the edge of a painful tickling. A couple summers ago we were at a theme park that has a replica of the Ifle Tower. It's about 300 feet high. Had a panick attack right there and demanded my wife and kids comer down from the observation deck with me immediately. I don't understand the fear in one situation but being able to function extremely well in another of similar risk. I've talked to psychs about it when I was in the Nav, and they had no firm conclusions for the duality in my fears. It's very frustrating. The only time I've had an issue while riding is when I travel over bridges that have the open grate deck so you can see straight down to the river bed. When in motion the grating is thin enough that it looks as though nothing is there. The tread pattern on the tires make you shimmy slightly. Once I looked down while crossing the Ohio River into Russel, KY and there was a coal barge passing under me. FREAKED ME out. Had to stop on the other side and smoke a cig.....

you answered your own question Raceangel....your fear and pride and excitement kept you going....stick with them, they work, you conquered that fear and you will the next time too, it was there and you dealt with it. Kudos.

I too can not go to the edge of a roof and look over but riding Rex up and down the mountain is an absolute blast for me. Ladders were a problem too but I discovered once when helping a friend put siding on his two story house I soon acclimated to the height. I agree with Sarge7 and Lucky. Do not look over, pay attention to the road. That should make it easier and in time it should be better. Also remember that if something tragic were to happen you can get off the bike. One beautiful day I road to the top of the Auto Road on Mt. Washington NH. That is a narrow, winding and sometimes dirt road. At the top a cage driver cam to me and said, " I thought I was crazy coming up here in my car but you guys on Bikes gotta be nuts." You should have seen the look on his face when I told him, "Maybe so, but if you go over the edge you are going all the way down, I can get off my bike before that happens."

Not sure how to state this without getting kicked off but here goes.....Airplanes don't bother me, heck back in the 70's I use to fly hang gliders off Mt. in California, climbing a ladder no problem, but when I'm on a tall building looking over the edge.....well uh, my uh, you see uh,.....oh hell my nuts hurt. Hey what can I say.
Dragon

O.K. so here's how it's going....last 3 weekends I'be been up Wrightwood Mtn., Big Bear Mtn., Ortega Mtn., and yesterday Idyllwild Mtn. going the back side to Palm Springs. Reminded me of the "Rim of the World". We stopped at the lookout point over Palm Desert. Still am having problems with relaxing and wanting to slow down before I get the the top turn, but doing alright. Not sure why all my rides have to be climbing the highest points of earth in our area. Just the way it goes. Stopped at the Casino and had prime rib dinner, gave my $40.00 donation to the reservation and rode on home. Nice ride and I'm getting the hang of this Mountian riding.

That is great RaceAngel.