When I was a kid I remember going to some theme park that had a big “death” slide. Not one of those rope/zipwire slides, rather more the traditional sit-on-your-bum type slide, but starting with a vertical drop. So after climbing up umpteen steps you sat on a ledge at the top and pushed yourself off and basically ‘fell’ down a vertical wall until it gradually curved outwards and the polished wooden surface caught you and sent you shooting out horizontally along the floor. I’ve never been a big fan of heights, but having no real expectation of what this slide would be like I’d climbed up and gone down.
However, returning later in the day, I climbed up the steps, sat on the ledge and bottled it. I just couldn’t push myself off and had to take the chicken out route: a much more gradual inclined metal slide to to the side.
The above is exact same feeling I have with regard to cycling this coming winter.