I don't like fast technical decents much either any more. At one time I did, but I nearly wiped out once on one and have been leary ever since. Being self employed I can't afford a bad crash. Plus I'm 50+ and don't bounce off asphalt as well as the younger guys. So on our Thurday night group hill ride I generally get dropped going down the hills, not going up them.

It's like any other phobia. I once had a very bad incident while deep water scuba diving that scared the sh*t out of me. For awhile I didn't want to dive again. Eventually, after several shallower dives I forced myself to go back and do the same dive again. It was scarey but I did it. I don't have the same bravado about scuba diving that I once did, but I knew the only way to get over a phobia is to face it.

What you should do is build up to the big decents by riding less steep hills on training rides. When you become more confident then start riding the steeper hills. I'd drive your bike out to a big hill and just practice going down it several times, a little faster each time. Take a friend with you for support.

A phobia is nothing but an irrational fear of something. It's mostly in the mind.

Don't feel like the lone ranger on this one. There are plenty of other people out there with the same problem. It doesn't mean you have to quit though. Wiping out sucks, but unless you hit something really hard or fall really far, its probably not going to kill you. Just look at the guys who crash on the tour. They break a bone or two, but they survive. Don't sweat it. Just watch out for areas where there are large drop offs, trees and cars. But if there is sufficient clear zone, even if you do crash, you probably won't die. Once you come to grips with the fact that a crash probably won't kill you (provided you are wearing good helmet), then you can stop worrying about it so much. Maybe the shakes will go away too. You have to admint though, going riding on a bike is kind of asking for it to start with. You have to accept the risk if you want to keep doing it... I suggest you find a series of hills (on a country road with no traffic or blind driveways) which get progressively larger/longer (start small and build) and focus on riding them (hill repeats) like all day until you have done them all (if you really want to get over it). See how fast you can go without freaking out. Or you could just live with it and ride your brakes on the downhills. Sometimes you just have to accept your limitations, but you don't have to let it stop you all together...

Short answer: deal with it or live with it

Just do your best. I seriously doubt that downhill timidity is cosing you a full mph, but even if it does, so what?

Very few of us win races, so what's the differenct between tenth and fourteenth? Most of us are there for the fitness and the lifestyle. Look for flatter races. I don't know where you live but try Treasure Island with a six lap bike course with a total ascent on each lap of just over twenty feet. Okay, maybe forty... As a downhill maniac, I HATE that race, but it's definitely a race where even the pros don't go much above 30.

Meanwhile exercise caution and practice your handling skills. The more times you don't crash, the more confident you'll now feel.

---

Cousin Elwood - Team Over-the-hill Racing
Brought to you by the good folks at Metamucil and Geritol...

Learn some relaxation techniques. deep calming breaths, smiling to yourself, relax your jaw muscles, etc. I've used these techniques when climbing or skiing something that required 100% focus and falling is not an option. 'smiling to yourself' sounds weird but it actually works. your facial and jaw muscles tighten up first when you are anxious and smiling is very difficult when your jaw is clenched so it kind of forces you to relax your jaw and this helps you relax. the other thing is to practice riding no hands, on the flats obviously. this will improve your balance and get you more in tune with your bike.

Buy a motorcycle.

I agree with others' suggestion to practice and build up to steeper hills. I also have another suggestion - pedal, don't coast, down hills. Sure, you'll go even faster, but I have found that pedaling makes the bike more stable than simply coasting down a hill. You might find that the additional speed you gain doesn't bother you, while the added stability will encourage you and build confidence.

Appreciate everyone's sincerity on this one....I have been riding hills at home, the more familar (comfortable) i am with a hill, the faster i can ride it. So, i get to feeling pretty good about while training, go to a race & even if i've rode there before, freak on the "strange" terrain... Also, i agree that pedaling down seems to help, kinda keeps the natural rythmn instead of the frozen panic. I haven't tried the facial relaxation, at least i'd go down smiling......

---

what means this word 'change'? .....
Rappstar

Untuck your mangina and enjoy the speed!! It is so much fun and gives your legs a breather too.

Well, my experience is it depends on your bike setup. When I have my previous bike, on the downhills it was start to wiggle and it scared the hell out of me. So, I sold the bike and got inputs from ST and what bike to buy that did not do this. So, I got the Yaqui DE frame, 81 degree seat angle, which has a 50 degree rake in the front. I now go down the big hills as fast as I can get the bike to go. I usually hit 40-45 now and am TOTALLY in control. Never a wiggle. And, if I needed to take one arm off the aerobars, I would not be concerned.

Dave

---

Dave Campbell | Facebook | @DaveECampbell | h2ofun@h2ofun.net

Boom Nutrition code 19F4Y3 $5 off 24 pack box | Bionic Runner | PowerCranks | Velotron | Spruzzamist

Lions don't lose sleep worrying about the sheep

ahhhh.... This is a huge problem for me, all in my head. It was better for a while, and worse again since I got the speed wobble last march. I have tried a sports psychologists, I have panick attacks downhills. My next thing will be relaxing natural herbs or something, but for now, i am just not riding. I totally know how you feel, I struggle so much. What has helped the most in the past has been for someone to drive me up the same hill like 25 times in a row... but the trick is for me to drop my shoulders, relax the hands and SIGNING as loud as I can while going down, don't laugh but it forces you to relax (but i can only sing in french)

I have the same problem in the car and passing trucks on the highway. (and driving in the rain, or skiing for that matter)

singing, huh ? i will try that, but probably not in French. Also, i am totally with you about it bothering me in a car. I imagine what it would be like to be on a bike and immediately head to the right shoulder.

Wet pavement is also an issue, whether on bike or in car.

i am at my worst in races, because i get a little caffeine buzz & that adds to the shakes. Guessing that anything that makes you relax is not going to help your overall performance, but something herbal might not take too much juice out of a person....

---

what means this word 'change'? .....
Rappstar

Google "descending on a bike" and read up -- switch your focus on what you *should* be doing, not on what you've been doing to trap yourself into failure. It generally helps to engage your mind in a positive direction.

Also, from a purely mechanical standpoint, my descending and general bike handling got tremendously better after I was properly fit to my bike. Proper weight distribution across your frameset helps a ton.

Finally, I'd say "ride Ti" -- but that would explode into an entire different, unrelated thread...;-)

It's no time to give up!

-Mike

Finally, I'd say "ride Ti" -- but that would explode into an entire different, unrelated thread...;-)

Now you've done it! - Here goes...

Funny you say that... Because I love mine so much, I'm willing to risk my life just to ride it...and the faster the better => I believe Ti does have a soul, and I plan to "will" mine to the most deserving of my kids... :) That is - provided some bozo doesn't crush it with their SUV before I kick off...

but it has nothing to do with the bike... I shake on all my bikes. It's the tensing up that makes the bike shake, it's mental. That's the part i, myself need to work on. I panick very easily , i have apprehension when I know the hills are coming, and anxiety before riding. it's tough to deal with for sure.

Hiya.....

3 thoughts..

1. Practice going slow, - but also leaning your body forward, - even up over the bars.

2. Make sure that you are OUT of the Aerobars if you have them, - but get into the drops if you have them. If no drops, - get out of the aerobars.

3. On right banking turns, - push down with your right hand and left foot. (Of course your right foot will be up in the cranks). Same thing for left banking turns, left foot up on the crank, push down with right foot and push down with the left hand.

The feeling of confidence that you get from doing these three things was pretty amazing to me when I tried them...

Cheers,

You're not alone on this one. I've been doing tris for about 18 months now, and I still get nervous when I get over 30mph. I start thinking about all the things that can go wrong: blow a tire, someone pulls out in a car, a rabbit or squirrel darts out in front of me, my bars come loose, my quick-release comes off, my brakes fail...I'm a pretty cautious person in a sport that has some danger. So, I find myself grabbing a brake lever when i start approaching 35mph. Ironically, in June, in a race, I was descending a hill at about 32mph and I DID blow a tire in the rear! Luckily I was able to bring it to a safe stop and get off the road before anything bad happened.
Jeez!

---

------------------
My business-eBodyboarding.com

In my last race, I hit 45mph ans was scared to death! I was in my aero position + disc wheel + passing cars + crosswind = a HUGE brown stain

I didn't like that 1 bit. I feel your pain

---

---------------------------
"This wheel definitely beat the 808 in this test, no question, and I do commend Hed on producing a really fast wheel...the wheel is fast, I am not disputing that." - joshatzipp on the Stinger 9
My Website
HEDmafia.com

Go mountain biking. You can't get up as much speed (which is good when starting out), but you will learn how to control your bike and your body which will make you more comfortable descending on the road.

ARe you talking about descending in your aerobars or on the horns?

---

_________________
Dick

Take everything I say with a grain of salt. I know nothing.

I love being in my aerobars going down a hill at 45 MPH now. Its a real rush when its so stable!!



Dave

---

Dave Campbell | Facebook | @DaveECampbell | h2ofun@h2ofun.net

Boom Nutrition code 19F4Y3 $5 off 24 pack box | Bionic Runner | PowerCranks | Velotron | Spruzzamist

Lions don't lose sleep worrying about the sheep

I took up mountain biking as cross training to get over my fear.

This helped me ride better technically as well as got me comfy on the descents.

---

Tri Hard !

i just did a really hilly century ride in thurmont md. hit over 50 for the first time on my tri bike. it helped a lot to follow others. that way i could see that nothing bad happened to them and i was fine. i didnt do as well in the front. at one point i thought i was going fast and a paceline of roadies passed my like i was standing still. the possibility of a pothole over 40 scares the shit out of me.

I do the 'Walton' on steeper race descents. Hands on the 'horns, butt WAY back on the saddle and chest down on the TT. I go as fast as the pedallers and no wasted energy and it's much more stable.

---

_________________
Dick

Take everything I say with a grain of salt. I know nothing.

Is the same on aero-bars, horns, hoods, or drops. I've replaced my flat base bar with drops, simply cause up on the hoods is the most stable option, but i'm still limited there. Also, have the same problem on mt. bike.....

---

what means this word 'change'? .....
Rappstar