ohmigosh... i was the BIGGEST chicken of downhills when i first started! hubby started me out climbing right away... which was fine.. but i didn't want to go fast going down!

the first time i went all the way to the top of our local climb... i rode the breaks the entire way down! my wheels were so hot! hubby then decided no more climbing til i would lay off the breaks! (my hands were so sore too!)

anyways.. what i finally did was on my own.. i would climb a little way up the hill.. then come down... no breaks! i practiced and would go a little further eat day/time... finally i went all the way to the top and could come down without riding the breaks! (keep in mind our local hill is a straight one!)

within 3 weeks actually graduated to climbing, then descending oak glen (a popular hill in socal!) and a week or so later i did GMR!

so you can do it.. just do it in baby steps at your own pace!