Ha, Pedal Wench, I climbed up the pyramid at Chiken Itza (sp) when I was senior in HS. I also spent about 1-2 hours going down *on my rear end,* because I could not stand up on those steps! I have to hold on to a railing going down any steps. I go down a very steep escalator twice a week at the train station. I hold on for dear life. Sometimes, I walk down the moving escalator, but I have to look down at the steps and hold on.
My fear of downhills is becoming more like panic as the years go on. I can get up to about 25, but if there's curves, forget it. My natural inclination is to put the brakes on. At one point, I got close to 35 mph on a downhill a couple of years ago, but it's weird. I often start out the season going faster. Then as the the months go on, the fear becomes more pronounced.
My bike fits and I can comfortably reach the brakes in the drops. But I feel like I have no control when I descend in the drops and often have to slow way down just to feel OK with it. I have no problem riding in the drops on the flats, in a headwind, etc. So, pretty much I just deal with it. The only time it bothers me is when I am on a group ride and that isn't very often.
I catch all of them on the uphills...