Conquering downhill fears

[espirit]

Hi Everyone

I am new here and soooo happy to read this thread! I have only ridden my new road bike 4 times and the hills are terrifying me! It doesn't help that I don't feel like I can stop the bike when I am riding on the hoods. I can't seem to reach far enough down the brake levers to get any of the "lever" action happening. I seem to be pulling on the lever near the top at the join. If I go to the drops (which I haven't been game enuf to do downhill yet!) I get good leverage and it brakes well. Do I need to change something on my setup? (please say yes!)

[cosc]

I'm also very careful, probably overly so on downhills. The front half of my bike seems out of control with wobbles on steep descents. I keep my bottom far back, hold top tube with jitters and hold my bars lightly, usually in the drops, and feather brakes, but still have problems. I might need more weight toward the front end of the bike. I read that more weight on your cranks creates a lower center of gravity, better balance and control. I too, need all the downhill advice I can get.

Coyote this is a very good thread as descending is one of the most awesome
experiences when done with confidence.

[alpinerabbit]

• ride the ideal line:
  this image is from motorcart racing but it is basically the same - in a single bend (right hand pic) swerve outwards then aim for the inside of the curve. Don't swerve when riding in a pack.
  
  
• decelerate before the turn, not in the turn
• have your outside pedal down - not only to avoid sparks but also to have more control on the lean of your bike. Put weight on the outside foot.
• steer from your hips also
• look where you want to go - like horseback riding.

here's what I was taught in training camp and it really helped. I am much faster downhill this year than last.

[coyote]

OMG You mean there could be turns

Just kidding. I haven't been on a route that requires a bend or turn. I've been hear about lines and turns and I was wondering what that looked like. Thanks Alpinerabbit for sharing the info from your training camp. I had no idea that going downhill had could be technical.

[Melalvai]

I'm glad I came across this thread today. My husband is nervous about descents. I'm trying to be patient and not critical and definitely not say what I am thinking which is "Stop braking! Enjoy the thrill!" I either have to slow down to stay with him, or fly past him and wait for him to join me on the uphill. It is particularly frustrating since I gave up my riding buddy and he is my main cycling partner now. But, I am encouraged by this thread, because it means he'll get more confident with time.

[aicabsolut]

Hi Everyone

I am new here and soooo happy to read this thread! I have only ridden my new road bike 4 times and the hills are terrifying me! It doesn't help that I don't feel like I can stop the bike when I am riding on the hoods. I can't seem to reach far enough down the brake levers to get any of the "lever" action happening. I seem to be pulling on the lever near the top at the join. If I go to the drops (which I haven't been game enuf to do downhill yet!) I get good leverage and it brakes well. Do I need to change something on my setup? (please say yes!)

I'm also very careful, probably overly so on downhills. The front half of my bike seems out of control with wobbles on steep descents. I keep my bottom far back, hold top tube with jitters and hold my bars lightly, usually in the drops, and feather brakes, but still have problems. I might need more weight toward the front end of the bike. I read that more weight on your cranks creates a lower center of gravity, better balance and control. I too, need all the downhill advice I can get.

Coyote this is a very good thread as descending is one of the most awesome
experiences when done with confidence.

Descending in the drops will give you more stability. The only advantage of descending on the hoods is your ability to stay slower by catching more air with your torso. If you need to slow down from the drops and don't want to hit the brakes, you can straighten your elbows some and sit up as much as you can. I bow them out and round my upper back to turn my body into a parachute.

If you get front end wobbles, try putting more weight on the bars. If that doesn't help, lightly grab the TT with your knees. That will dampen whatever resonance point your bike has hit. If it gets squirly like that often, you might want to check to see if your wheels are trued.

As for weight on the cranks, that's not weight on cranks vs. weight on bars, but weight on cranks vs. weight on saddle. You want your weight on the pedals and bars. This makes it easier to get low and aero on the straight descents and to countersteer on the corners (inner bar, outer pedal if coasting). You'll also be able to keep steady over bumps and rocks and whatever you hit. Your knees and elbows will absorb the shock, and you'll keep the bike in line. Being lighter on the seat will also help your braking on the descent if you need to.

Get used to speed and being RELAXED on straight line descents. Then practice cornering in general--knowing what lines to take. Then get some grippy tires and do some curvy descents. The going down part is the main reason I climb hills

[Bklynmom]

I learned to love downhills by riding the same one every day in our local park. Once you know where all the bumps and potential trouble spots are, you can really fly. Now I play around with my aerosdynamic position and see if by changing it (ie moving elbows in) I can get faster. It's nothing crazy - about a 4% grade for half a mile.

I had a bad time at first on the downhill in traffic on the way home from the park. Sometimes my hands cramped from pulling on the break. Repetition is the one thing that helped me stop worrying the most.

My coach says it's safer not to break. He also told me to pedal slowly to add stability to the bike going downhill. You can drastically lower your speed on a downhill (and avoid the brakes) just by sitting up and going back to the hood from the drops.

You will learn to love the downhills

[indigoiis]

This was just posted in my club's message board... how timely.

"Save your skin in a hairy corner!

Well, let's hope you never actually need to try this one. But you should
know what to do in an emergency situation.

Let's say you're on a twisting road, having fun carving through the
curves. Feels great! But suddenly you realize you're approaching the
next turn way too fast. What now?

Lean, lean, lean! Generally it's better to increase your cornering
angle even though you may lose traction and fall to the inside. Consider
the options: Either slide down or ride off the outside of the road and
hit things like guardrails, trees or big air (for a while). This is
assuming a motor vehicle doesn't stop you first.

Of course, if the shoulder is smooth and carpeted in plush grass,
running off the road makes good sense. But you'll rarely have time to
check and decide. In most cases, the normal reaction -- to stay upright
for as long as possible -- can lead to worse injuries. Lean!

Stand hard. Give your tires the best chance of maintaining their grip
by standing heavily on your outside pedal. Virtually all of your weight
should be on it. Press hard and push your bike into the turn. When
you're doing it right, the machinery will be angled more than your body.

Brake, then don't. Take off as much speed as you can before the turn,
then release the levers. This is another technique that goes against
instinct. But braking in a turn makes a bike want to straighten, the
opposite of what you need it to do.

That said, you can usually feather the rear brake without dire
consequences. It may slow you just enough to make it through. But be
ready to let up if the wheel grabs, chatters and threatens your control.

Don't even think about using the front brake while turning. This goes
for normal cornering too, not just panic conditions. Front braking when
the bike is leaning will point you anywhere but where you're aiming. It
can even cause the front wheel to wash out abruptly -- and down you go.

o^o o^o o^o o^o o^o o^o o^o o^o o^o

RoadBikeRider.com"

[aicabsolut]

yeah, though too much back break especially if there's any moisture on the road can cause some nice fishtails.

[cosc]

Aicabsolut, thanks for your descending balance advice. I need to practice downhills, balancing weight on bars and cranks. I often encounter crosswinds going downhill into the river valley and must brake so I'm not speeding on main street at the bottom of the hill. I'm looking forward to downhills without city traffic at the bottom so I can let her rip.