Fear of going fast downhill

[rockja]

Hi,

I am preparing for a 200+ K ride to take place in June 2014.
I used to ride years ago in my youth and never had any fear of riding like he wind. Now that I am much older, had been away from cycling for around 20 years, I really have a fear and start braking like mad.

I will appreciate any techniques that may help remedy this fear.

Julia

[Helene2013]

I have the same fear. I can't wait to read the help to get past this.

I see a hill (down) and one going right back up and I loose all my momentum because I brake way too much instead of using that energy to get up that coming hill.

Mentally, it is hard to not think a "what if I lose control going too fast". I never was like this in my younger days.

[smittykitty]

That fear it what keeps us alive:) Of course, it is helpful to not slow down too much, so let the advice begin.

[TigerMom]

I believe in riding as fast as you feel safe. After all, no one knows when a tube will pop on the way down. Live to ride another day is very important.

At the same time, my max downhill road speed used to be 25mph. Now it's 40mph (assuming wide smooth roads and no curves in the road).

[Catrin]

I suspect it is only a temporary fear since you've been away from cycling for so long, and, of course, as adults we KNOW what can happen. That puts things in a different perspective.

Ride as fast as you feel safe and things will improve as you gain more confidence on the bike. Fear isn't a bad thing and as SmittyKitty pointed out does serve a purpose. I've only been riding a couple of years (just turned 54) and going downhill was terrifying to me when I started. It still does if the pavement isn't in decent shape OR if it is a very steep downhill. Focus on relaxing, keep your shoulders out of your ears (if you do that), and keep looking down the road and what comes next so you can anticipate shifting. This will, hopefully, prevent you from focusing too much on your speed. Don't use your speed to guide your braking but the terrain, conditions, and of course, your gut.

This helped me, others will be able to add to it.

[thekarens]

I think Catrin hit the nail on the head. Recently I participated in the Texas Time Trials and there's a boatload of hills in that one. Well, hills as far as we flatlanders are concerned. Anyway, I noticed I was riding the brakes a lot downhill and it was causing me a lot of problems making it up the next hill. Anyway, to make a long story short it was because the chipseal was shaking my bike so bad I was having a hard time seeing. When I got to smooth downhills I was perfectly fine with not braking. Having said that the fastest I've gone is 35.

Totally anecdotal, but there was a lady in our club that broke her collarbone not even going 10 mph, so you can get just as injured going fast or slow.

[OakLeaf]

Look where you want to go, not where you don't. If the road turns, look through the curve. Glance at the road surface several seconds ahead so you know if there's anything you need to avoid, then PICK YOUR EYES UP. Generally, lift your gaze 10 degrees higher than you're used to. Keep a soft focus, so you're aware of both threats and escape routes in 100% of your visual fields, but don't lock your gaze on anything for more than a fraction of a second, and keep your focus centered a few feet above the ground at the point you want to wind up when you're through the turn.

That's most of it. Then shift your weight back and low. Cover your brakes, feather them if you need to scrub speed, but don't ride them continuously. Practice braking on flat ground so you learn how to synchronize and modulate your brakes, understanding that most of your braking power comes from the front, but so does most of your steering control, so how much of each brake you use will depend on traction, lean angle, speed, etc. Upshift when you crest the hill and pedal occasionally during coasting to make sure you're in a gear that will let you control your bike when you start pedaling again.

I was away from cycling for more than a decade too, and returned much MORE confident on descents than I'd ever been before, because in the interim I'd learned how to properly pilot a motor vehicle, at speeds higher than I'll ever see on a bici. It's all about the gaze.

[TrekDianna]

And let me add... Do not grip too tight when going downhill. I came back from Cycle Oregon with tennis elbow from holding on too tight on the 20 mile downhills that were broken up with cattle guards. I didn't want a chance of getting stuck in them so I had a death grip on the bars. Try to keep relaxed. Obviously it's much easier on good pavement without obstacles.

[pll]

Oakleaf and TrekDianna offer good advice:

Always look where you want to go (not were you don't want to end up) -- this is true at any speed!
Relax your arms and shoulders -- no "grip of death" anywhere, but make sure you have fingers wrapped around the handlebar!
Feather your brakes and lower your speed *before* curves, never during the curve.
Experiment in different descents with how you distribute your weight. I generally like lifting my butt off the saddle, and moving it a little back, putting some pressure on the sides of the saddle with my thighs. Pedals horizontal at 3PM and 9PM. Shift up so you can pedal, as pedaling can give you more stability. As I have become more confident, I started lowering my chest and head towards the handlebar, tuck in my knees towards the top tube, elbows tucked in, too. These days I am putting a little more weight on the front wheel, which results in additional speed. Let me tell you it is insanely fun when you dash past people who are pedaling like mad and you are just tucked in. In a curvy descent, you want your hands on the drops for more braking power. My top speed thus far has been just over 45mph, but I live in a relatively flat part of the world...the 45mph was during a race, on a long descent in a highway, pedaling hard most of the time.
If you have a friend that is a good descender, follow his/her line.

GCN has a very nice series of "How-to" videos. See this one on descending switchbacks: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EohtLFZcvg4

[Helene2013]

Wow! As usual, excellent tips. I will try to remember this on my next ride, probably next end of spring as our ride bikes are mostly done for the year. Too cold and snow has started in some areas.

[ny biker]

I will add: don't forget to breathe.

And do what you feel comfortable with. Don't worry about what other people around you are doing.

[pll]

Experiment, experiment, experiment. There are descents and then there are descents, so you can try different things on the shorter or less steep ones. For example, you'll feel that if your are tucked in, you can slow down simply by sitting up (yep, aerodynamics work). Relax your arms, always have a bend in your elbows as your arms are like a shock absorbers.

[smilingcat]

going fast doesn't earn you brownie points. Go at speed you are comfortable. As for using the speed to carry you over the next hill, it is only good for hills that we used to call "ooped-ee-doo" (however its spelled) generally hills of 100 feet in height or less. anything more and the speed you carry on downhill gets lost beyond the first 100 vertical feet. (just a rule of thumb).

If you are worried about downhill speed, and want to increase it, read oakleaf's explanation carefully. At times, I was looking 2/10 of mile ahead of me (12seconds), scanning little to the left little to the right at 2/10 mile ahead to see what the danger might be (even though 2/10 mile was no where near what I needed to come to a complete stop). Scrub/bleed off/slow down before you enter a turn. Learn to make a turn properly. Technique can make a difference at speed through a turn. Ride within your ability. And gradually learn to expand your ability. There is nothing to be ashamed at slowly coming down a hill.

I prefer to ride with women just for this reason. We are more prudent and careful.

[Owlie]

BF keeps telling me just how much FUN! it is to break the 40mph speed limit on a hill near his home. No, that really doesn't seem like fun. 35 (with the brakes) is more than enough. It's not a race. Oakleaf has good advice, as always. :) Ride however fast you feel comfortable. I'm a lot better about it than when I first started, but things like curves and bad pavement still throw me.

Shifting up helps, even if I don't pedal. Scooting back and a little aero tuck helps, but I stay on the hoods so that I can easily reach the brakes (I can break from the drops, but it's a stretch-I have short fingers!)

[lph]

If I feel myself becoming more nervous than I should be, usually skiing, not cycling, I imagine I'm someone else. I'm not kidding :-) But thinking of how someone who is competent and brave would do something, whether a well-known athlete or just a skilled friend, helps me be more competent and brave. I don't mean death-defying or reckless, just encouraging myself to push the limits a little.

[Melalvai]

Wow, great advice.
+1 to breathe
And +1 to go as fast as you are comfortable. You'll get more comfortable with time and experience.
And +1 to everything else. (I'm really not contributing anything here. :D )

[pll]

I was terrified of descents as a beginner (except for very short and familiar ones). I was forced to learn in a cycling trip in Scottland - the first day, I melted the brake pads and they had to be replaced that day. By day 6, I was following my friend's line, hands in the drops. I also have small hands and, on the hoods in steep descents, my hands cramped. The drops worked a lot better.

Heck, when I started riding, even trying to ride faster on a flat road (say 18 mph) felt like I was totally out of control. You get comfortably gradually, your skills improve with riding time, experimenting within reason and pushing your boundaries little by little. Ride within your comfort level, but also experiment when possible to see how things feel. The GCN videos are pretty good and they give you tips you can mix in your rides.

[shootingstar]

the 20 mile downhills that were broken up with cattle guards.

I can't imagine..cattle guards tend to freak me out. I hate them.

Wierdly they are used here and there our city, in URBAN neighbourhoods where there are no cattle but just an old-fashioned/dumb/unsafe way of excluding cars.

[OakLeaf]

We must be thinking of two different things, because the cattle grates (https://www.google.com/search?q=cattle+guard&client=firefox-a&hs=8U8&rls=org.mozilla:en-US:official&tbm=isch&tbo=u&source=univ&sa=X&ei=4Q94Uq7WA8fSyAGSVw&ved=0CEgQsAQ&biw=1608&bih=771&dpr=0.9) I'm familiar with wouldn't exclude cars ... in fact, the whole point of them is to allow farm vehicles to pass without having to open and close a gate.

But I couldn't imagine even trying to ride over one on two wheels. At any speed. Even if you were uninjured, they'd taco your wheels. :eek:

ETA: but I guess it can be done. http://jpschroeder.blogspot.com/2010/07/day-22-hot-springs-to-rapid-city-sd.html [scroll down to the last picture]

[Kathi]

We must be thinking of two different things, because the cattle grates (https://www.google.com/search?q=cattle+guard&client=firefox-a&hs=8U8&rls=org.mozilla:en-US:official&tbm=isch&tbo=u&source=univ&sa=X&ei=4Q94Uq7WA8fSyAGSVw&ved=0CEgQsAQ&biw=1608&bih=771&dpr=0.9) I'm familiar with wouldn't exclude cars ... in fact, the whole point of them is to allow farm vehicles to pass without having to open and close a gate.

But I couldn't imagine even trying to ride over one on two wheels. At any speed. Even if you were uninjured, they'd taco your wheels. :eek:

ETA: but I guess it can be done. http://jpschroeder.blogspot.com/2010/07/day-22-hot-springs-to-rapid-city-sd.html [scroll down to the last picture]

We have those here and I still haven't convinced myself that they're ride able but they aren't easy to walk across either.

[Kathi]

Living and riding in SW Ohio I loved the hilly terrain with the rollers. I didn't give down hills much thought until I moved here. My first ride down a hill near our house (with 2 intersections) freaked me out. Then I tried riding down a mountain pass in the LaSalle mountains in Utah. I was so freaked out I nearly killed myself. I ended up walking 2 miles to the bottom then sagged to flatter terrain. I got a very well fitting bike and practiced riding in my drops with my feet in the 9-3 position on the pedals. Even though I had ridden for years it was so scary to take my hands off the handlebars and put them in the drops so I practiced on small hills. I found I have more strength braking from the drops. I read every hill now and determine if I need to be in my drops or handlebars. Now I fly down the hill next to my house because I know I can stop when I need to.

Every fall we do the Mickelson Trail Trek in S. Dakota. It's an unpaved trail with some long down hills. There's the usual crazies flying down the hills but there are just as many insecure riders. They have their pedals in the 6-12 o'clock position and hang to one side. Some have their bottoms off the saddle which puts them in even more of an unbalanced position. With my feet in the 9-3 position I can stand on the pedals if the trail gets rough and comfortably ride down the hills.

A wise friend once said to me, "trust your bike, it wants to stay upright". That's what got me through that scary downhill in Utah.

[TrekDianna]

We have those here and I still haven't convinced myself that they're ride able but they aren't easy to walk across either.

Strange as it might sound, the faster you go over, the smoother it is. We had some days on Cycle Oregon where there were 9 or more on one hill. Of course, there were cattle too. Sometimes in the road. Cattle guards are a normal part of riding in open range.

[lph]

Are your cattle guards square (cross-section)? We have cattle guards where each bar is a pole, ie. round cross-section, and they're a breeze to ride across, especially at speed. The one exception would be if they're dented or spaced especially far apart, then you can get a nasty surprise.

[shootingstar]

I'm not going to be thrilled to even try it. Even for a cross section.

As I said, pretty stupid to have them in a regular street intersection, any urban residential neighbourhood at all...when there's young children living in the area. Even if it was leftover from prairie rangeland days before our city expanded, the cattle grate should have been removed and just put a permanent iron fence or concrete barrier to block cars.

Cars are forbidden to enter since there's a Wrong Way/Do not Enter road sign to indicate to drivers.

[OakLeaf]

Shootingstar, can you describe what you're talking about, or post a picture? Because the cattle grates we're talking about do not exclude cars.

[shootingstar]

I should clarify, yes I agree cattle grates allow cars.

The situation I'm describing is that the municipality has the cattle grate at a residential road intersection plus a no entry/wrong way road sign to warn cars not to cross over into the neighbourhood on the road.

The cattle grate is not in a suburban area. It is...mid-town. As I said, a relic road infrastructure that should have been removed by the municipality. this is a city....of 1+ million people.

If it doesn't snow more, one day a photo. Not going to happen for awhile since I don't have a car.

[ny biker]

You might be able to find it on Google satellite view or street view and post a link to it.