Descending Skills

[mellic]

You will find that the biggest weakness in most people's descending skills on the road is related to lack of bike handling skills. I have seen so many people fall off descending on the road when they come across the most minor obstacle, when a simple change in tactic might have avoided it.

If you want to improve your descending skills onroad I would recommend spending some time mountain biking offroad. Mountain biking allows you to improve the way in which you control and manuevre your bike far greater than you ever would purely riding onroad. It also helps to build up confidence.

The descending skills on both bikes are very similar (apart from different hand positions on brakes), but mountain biking requires you to shift your weight around that little bit more to avoid obstacles. The more you practice offroad the faster you get. Then when it comes to descending onroad it is easy as there are generally no obstacles to avoid, and if they were you would be a lot more comfortable making the right decision.

[SnappyPix]

If you want to improve your descending skills onroad I would recommend spending some time mountain biking offroad

Oooh, my skinny wheeled road bike wouldn't like that at all!

[han-grrl]

I have SOOO much more confidence on my mtb than my road bike on descents. I find that i completely panic on the road, and i can fly down the gravel paths on my mtb (with my husband yelling at me to slow down...hahaha). i have been trying to work on my confidence, but after reading these posts, i am thinking my feelings of instability are more related to bike handling? i just feel like i am going to fly over the handlebars on my road bike, not matter how low or back my weight is (and i too, descent like a mtb-er)

[SouthernBelle]

This thread is interesting. Right now I have a little speed-fear after a crash in April. On a descent this weekend I scared myself a bit.

[Shimpie]

This is a great thread! I have the worst fear of descending. Part of it is a handling issue. I don't feel like I'd be able to control my road bike quick enough to avoid an obstacle if I were travelling at +25 mph. Just got to ride more huh?

The other part is residual fear from the last time I hit a max speed of 27 mph. I was thrilled to have bombed down a freeway overpass, only to get hit from behind at the bottom of the hill. (Long story: a runaway trailer detatched from a truck and wiped me out from behind). All my concentration goes into descending e.g, looking far ahead, braking, and freaking out. I can't even look in my mirror for cars. I feel very vulnerable in descents.