down hill scardy pants

[OakLeaf]

Yeah, and I just don't get the "line" thing. How do you know what your "line" is? Is there some magical secret?

Your line is whatever line you take.

You can learn faster lines through familiarity with a corner. Some corners have only one fast line. Some have several ways that you can set yourself up for the next corner. Most corners have a single apex (the point where you get closest to the inside); some are double or even triple apex.

In general you can take a corner faster by "straightening" it as much as possible, by moving to the outside of your lane on corner entry and exit, and squaring it off by moving to the inside at the apex. But other factors affect the fast line, notably camber, obstacles such as gravel, grates and potholes.

Then, of course, if you're not riding on a closed course, you have to take visibility into account when choosing your line - the likelihood that oncoming traffic will be drifting into your lane, etc.

This article was written for motorcyclists, but keeping in mind that bicyclists usually want to choose tighter lines, it's helpful.

[Crankin]

I knew you would answer, Oak.
Since I have to go down a hill (that curves to the right) every time I leave my house, I know where every curve and pothole is. And every day I say "this time I am going to do it." Get in the drops and go. Instead, I start drifting to the left, squeeze the brakes, and go down the hill at about 15 or less. I just freeze up and freak out. Like I said, I've given up. Maybe I need a sports shrink??

[maillotpois]

Thanks, Oakleaf.

Reading Hough's book to improve my motorcycling last year dramatically improved my cycling descending. That whole delayed apex thing. Good stuff.

[wildeny]

I fell during a downhill turn at a speed about 40 km/hr because I didn't notice the side road was quite slippery (you know, the part out of sun shine). It's quite serious though I didn't know at that time and still had to continue the rest of the trip.

Of course, later I still remembered the feeling of falling but I tried to overcome my fear by practicing. Keep the speed low in the beginning and slowly increase the speed.

This article, Descending by Jobst Brandt, is also quite useful.

[Geonz]

I knew you would answer, Oak.
Since I have to go down a hill (that curves to the right) every time I leave my house, I know where every curve and pothole is. And every day I say "this time I am going to do it." Get in the drops and go. Instead, I start drifting to the left, squeeze the brakes, and go down the hill at about 15 or less. I just freeze up and freak out. Like I said, I've given up. Maybe I need a sports shrink??

Yo both make me feel better. I'm out here visiting in Virginia and ACK!!! The roads curve!!! ... oh, and I'm talking about driving ;P My brother says I drive like a novice 16-year-old afraid of wrecking Mom's car, which is precisely true since I'm in a rental (and we were going up a dirt road in the mountains). (He wasn't faulting me for it... simply observing after I brought up that having been without a car for two years....)
Im similar on the bike, which may be why I rode so much more when I moved to the plains. When I did TOMRV, with so many hills and curves, I had 'em put my name as "ICORNERSLOWLY" so people gave me room (and advice as if I were a novice, which I didn't mind either since it generally applied).
Gonna go check out hte motorcycle page...