down hill scardy pants

[OakLeaf]

Losing weight won't hurt your descending.... remember Galileo and the Leaning Tower of Pisa? It's all about aerodynamics, and a few pounds aren't enough to really change the profile you present to the wind.

No matter how much weight you lose, all else being equal, your shorter friends will still descend quicker than you. Just because they're shorter.

And they're useless to draft behind, too. <cue Randy Newman's "Short People">

At 5'3", I can say it.

[Crankin]

Well, I don't know if my shortness helps with anything...
I don't turn my handlebars. I try to lean my body and look in the direction of the turn. But I think what mostly happens is I slow down, stiffen my body, squeeze the brakes, and just pray to get down the hill.

Jiffer, I am not really *pissed* at people like you, I am more pissed at myself. And I suspect you probably climb faster than me, too. I spin up everything, sometimes at extremely slow speeds, but I get up pretty steep grades.

You know, I can't remember how I went down hills as a kid. I lived in a hilly neighborhood and rode my 3 speed Raleigh everywhere. In fact, I don't know how I got up some of those hills on that bike!

[tantrumbean]

Try steering the opposite way (just slightly), i.e. in a right turn steer to the left and vice versa - it's worked miracles for me, I can actually stay on the right side of the road now rather than being carried way out!