Descending

[han-grrl]

I want to enjoy my road bike. I really do.

But i have a problem - descending. I freak out, almost quite literally. I can be pedalling a flat at 35 km/hr but turn that into a descent, and i feel genuine panic.

I feel unstable, not sure where to position myself...

I think part of the problem may be my bike set up. I think maybe the break levers are a little far for my fingers, which means i kind of have to do a wierd hand thing to reach, which means in a pinch, i'm letting go of handlebars to grip the levers - what do you think?

But the other problem is i don't know where to look and how to be...

I can go down rocks on the mtb but put me on the road...:eek:

Thanks!

[wolfak]

I have this same problem. I'd love to hear advice on it!

[ASG]

I also fear descends, but not really on road... On road just if I had a U-Turn or if I'm crossing a road inside a town with people on the side of the road!

I definitely fear technical descends on mtb :eek:

I get anxious before a technical descend and most of the times, if it is a really tough one, I prefer to walk instead of ride it.... now I'm starting to do it, it looks that I'm on slow motion, but if I see rocks, roots or a drop I get really nervous!!!

Anybody had some advices about it??? I would like to be a fast descender... :D

[bmccasland]

I think part of the problem may be my bike set up. I think maybe the break levers are a little far for my fingers, which means i kind of have to do a wierd hand thing to reach, which means in a pinch, i'm letting go of handlebars to grip the levers - what do you think?


Having had fit issues in the past....
On general principal I'd take your bike to your LBS (and wear riding clothes) to have your brakes levers adjusted so you can reach them without having to let go of the handlebars. You need to be seated on the bike so your mechanic can see where adjustments are required. Knowing you can reach the brakes to control your speed might help your confidence - but more importantly you should be able to have your palms/heel of your hand on the bar while your fingers reach for the brake.

When you're going down hill, is this on a group ride or solo? Groups make me a bit more nervous, so I try to allow space between me and the adjacent riders. Also look further down the road than you might otherwise, you definitely don't want to steer quickly. Think long graceful curves. And if you're turning, coasting around a corner, keep your "inside" knee up while you make the turn (keeps your center of balance where it should be).

On the otherhand, I like speed, so I tuck in to go as fast as I can down the hill :D 'bout the only time I really fly! My lungs and legs can't make me fly on flats!

Go get those brake levers fixed!

[alpinerabbit]

http://forums.teamestrogen.com/showthread.php?t=22805&highlight=curves

http://forums.teamestrogen.com/showthread.php?t=20757&highlight=curves

http://forums.teamestrogen.com/showthread.php?t=18648



and



http://forums.teamestrogen.com/showthread.php?t=24433

[han-grrl]

Thanks for those links

everytime i thought "but what about..." there was the answer!

So i think i definitely need to set up the bike better, clearly i'm not reaching the levers well enough, and no wonder i feel so scared!

I really like the idea of learning to let it go, baby steps at a time...

:)

[Eden]

I want to enjoy my road bike. I really do.

But i have a problem - descending. I freak out, almost quite literally. I can be pedalling a flat at 35 km/hr but turn that into a descent, and i feel genuine panic.

OK - first thing take a deep breath and try to relax. If you can handle mt bike descents, a road bike should be a piece of cake. If you are stiff and tense it will only make cornering harder. Relax your upper body and try to not grip the handlebars in a death grip.


I feel unstable, not sure where to position myself...

For descending on a road bike you always want to have your hands in the drops. This can be scary for a lot of people, but it is the most stable position and if you are set up well, you should have the best braking power here



I think part of the problem may be my bike set up. I think maybe the break levers are a little far for my fingers, which means i kind of have to do a wierd hand thing to reach, which means in a pinch, i'm letting go of handlebars to grip the levers - what do you think?

This really makes it sound like you are on the tops... get in those drops and get those levers positioned (shimmed if you need it) so that you feel comfortable reaching them. Give yourself some time to get used to the feeling too. Almost 100% of our new racers tell us they don't feel like they can reach the brakes from the drops... most of them are just not used to the position yet. I have also noticed a tendency for bike shops to set the brake levers very high on the bars these days. This will make it harder to reach the brakes in the drops. I personally prefer the hoods to be level with the ground, which puts the levers closer and less awkward to reach when you are riding in the drops.[/QUOTE]


But the other problem is i don't know where to look and how to be...

A lot of this is going to be the same as on a mt bike.
Look where you want to go - through the turn, not at the turn.
Brake before you enter a turn, braking hard as you turn can cause a skid.
Cut across the apex of a turn - in other words take the straightest line possible through the turn.
Here's where a road bike will differ from a mt bike - rather than having both pedals level through a turn, your inside leg should be all of the way up, outside leg down (for balance and to avoid pedal strike).



I can go down rocks on the mtb but put me on the road...:eek:

Thanks!

Some of our most skilled descenders on the road are mt bikers/downhillers. Put your mt bike skills to use and you'll be a great descender in no time.

[tulip]

Watch the Tour de France this year. I've learned alot just by watching people who do things the right way.

[han-grrl]

Thanks for those tips! I can't wait to try (well sort of :cool:)

[BleeckerSt_Girl]

My bike #1 has non-shimmed brake levers. They are hard to wrap my fingertips around. It's a bit scary on downhills. One day i want to switch that bike to levers that can be shimmed and made into short-reach levers.

My bike #2 has short reach brifters with shims in them. I can easily wrap my fingertips around the brakes from any hand position and I feel way safer going downhill. I love them.

I always put hands in the drops on steep downhills.

Put your weight BACK over the back of your saddle when going downhill. Don't put your weight on your hands.

[Crankin]

I am still fighting this fear after almost 8 years. I feel totally unstable descending in the drops. I finally started using the drops on the flats, in headwinds, etc last year. Yesterday, I went to the LBS and read them the riot act. I had shims put in my brakes at the beginning of the season, but it still feels like the reach is too far. So I am getting a shorter stem and if that doesn't work, he will take the bike back (after 2 years, so that's a pretty good deal). It helped that I had my pro racer "adopted" son with me when I went in. The owner gave me all of the stupid arguments against going back to a smaller, 650 cc wheel bike, which thanks to everyone here, I could refute. I do love my bike and its lightness, but it is basically too big for me. I know I have some basic wimpiness and fear about descending in the drops, so I am hoping between the shorter stem and some courage I can cure myself of this problem!

[han-grrl]

My husband did a nice mod to my road bike

first my friend gave me her handlebars which are less steep (?) and narrower.

and we placed the shifters a little lower down, so that my fingers would reach...

and this is the cherry on top

my husband used
a plastic cork

which he cut into "shims"

which i finally tried tonight...OMG:eek:i never realized how bad things were until now...i have to UNLEARN some bad habits, and i felt so good in the drops...

i didn't do any "big hills" because i wanted to see how i felt, but it is definitely a HUGE improvement

Hubby's the best!:D

[RoadRaven]

Somehow I missed thia post earlier in the year, hann

Glad you have something that feels a bit better, I would have suggested shims or specific short reach levers.

My first road bike left my hands aching and it was slightly too big for me, so descending I felt stretched out and "unbalanced".

My next bike was a slightly smaller frame with short reach levers. It made descending feel soooo muchg better and achievable.

[han-grrl]

I can't tell you how much more confident i felt KNOWING i could reach the brakes so comfortably...happy happy joy joy!

[lovelylibrarian]

I definitely fear technical descends on mtb :eek:

I get anxious before a technical descend and most of the times, if it is a really tough one, I prefer to walk instead of ride it.... now I'm starting to do it, it looks that I'm on slow motion, but if I see rocks, roots or a drop I get really nervous!!!


Me too! If I know that I have to just go and be out of control where I can't stop and if I fall, there would be massive bloodletting, I tend to really get scared. I know in MTN biking, you just have to GO sometimes but I do freak out when there is a steep and rocky descent. I'm hoping I'll improve with experience.

My husband is always telling me that there is more of a chance of falling if I try to slow down then to just let myself go, but I'm just not good at being out of control.

[han-grrl]

I would like to "steer" the discussion back to road descending...

they are similar but not the same...

[RoadRaven]

Steering back...


I want to enjoy my road bike. I really do. But i have a problem - descending. I freak out, almost quite literally. I can be pedalling a flat at 35 km/hr but turn that into a descent, and i feel genuine panic.
I feel unstable, not sure where to position myself...

OK... I am guessing this is to with positioning and where your centre of gravity is.
So you have shims on your brake levers now - but are you using the drops? Eden and BleeckerStGirl both suggested this too. Have you tried it? If you feel uncomfy in the drops, then use them on the flat and get used to being there.
The reason you want to be in the drops is because it lowers your centre of gravity, making you less "top-heavy" and therefore it is easier to control the bike/yourself.

The other thing to do is to 'scootch' back in the seat. Slide your buttocks back a little so you are more stretched out. This spreads the weight more evenly across the bike and therefore it feels easier to control / more responsive.


But the other problem is i don't know where to look and how to be...

Where to look? Look at where you want the bike to go.

If you look at where you don't want to be (the ditch, the tree, the driveway) that is where you will begin to head.
So watch the line you want the bike to take.

For example:
I travel about 40-65km downhill if there are no corners, and I tend to focus on the 10-30 metres in front of me, and look up from time to time to see how much of the descent is still waiting.

My partner travels downhill much faster than me, even with corners and a slow descent for him would be 50kph. He reckons if you travel at 80-90kph, you need to be focusing 80-100 metres ahead because you cover the ground so quickly.



Of course, :p if all else fails to work, just close your eyes, trust Obiwan and use "the force"

[han-grrl]

Hey RoadRaven

Yes i am practicing being in the drops - i realized how many bad habits i have been getting myself into from the previous set up, so at first i feel nervous then i feel comfortable because i CAN ACTUALLY REACH HURRA!