OK, so what’s the secret to descending well? How do I get good at it? And what speed is considered a reasonable rate on a descent? Last year I maxed out in the mid forties (mph) before I started hitting the brakes. And I can’t say I was too relaxed when I got to the bottom at that speed.
Is there a technique to this, or does it just take a lot of practice to get comfortable?
It’s insanity. I hit 78 kph (46 mph) down a steep descent last year and realized how foolish I was since other people besides myself depend upon my pay cheque. Another time on a fast descent a rabbit jumped in front of me. I was fortunate not to hit the little guy.
Slowman had an interesting article on descending. I can’t seem to find it.
The best tip anyone ever gave me regarding descending was to weight, or put pressure on your inside arm/hand.
By putting weight, or pressure on your inside hand (hand on the inside of the corner), you’re initiating a counter steer. To effectively corner while descending, you actually need to slightly turn your front wheel in the OPPOSITE direction you want to turn.
It’s a very subtle action, and if you forget everything I wrote above, and just put pressure on your inside hand, you’ll find yourself cornering better on high speed descents. Time will help you relax, too.
This tip was given to me by Andy Bishop, a former pro for PDM, who finished the Tour de France at least 4 times, and was the self professed “worst climber in the peleton” (a slight exaggeration), and therefore one of the best descenders. I hope it helps.
To go along with the counter steering, it also helps to turn your hips in the opposite direction of the turn. This torques the frame and you’ll turn like you are on rails.
As far as straight line speed. Don’t think!! Relax!! If you think, it’ll be all the bad stuff that can happen. Plan well in advance, cause you’re going so fast. When you relax the bike will track better and smoother.
The fastest I’ve gone was 55 mph down the east side of the Blue Ridge Mountains at Wintergreen Ski Resort, coming down from Devils Nob.
I don’t hit brakes unless I have to turn and turn fairly sharply. If I could go 60 mph that would be great. When you descend, are you on drop bars (with or without clip-ons) or on tri bars (cow horns plus aero extensions)?
I ask this because to have the confidence to go 50 to 60+ mph, I find I need the body position, steering security, and hand-braking positions that only a drop bar can give me.
“lowman had an interesting article on descending. I can’t seem to find it.”
http://www.slowtwitch.com/mainheadings/techctr/descending.html
Max speed on a downhill at the Killington Stage Race many years ago was 62 mph. It was scary bombing down a road at that speed, fortuately it was a long fairly straight road.
Now, if I get up to 45-50 I start to get nervous if there are side roads or driveways that cars can come out of. If the road is free of intersections then it is fun to just let it roll down the hill.
Aerodynanics are key, some people are more aero than others, and it really shows up going down hill.
Thanks everyone for the advice. Dan, thanks for pointing me to the article, very helpful.
65 mph down hogpin gap in Georgia,maybe faster drafting the Goldwing in the Smokies,God i love descending,but be real careful where you get into traffic,driveways,and such,if someone does look and sees you they still might pull out in front of you,seems the human brain thinks when you see someone on a bike they are only going 10 mph,just remember your brakes are you weakest link at 60 mph
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93 kph descending Whiteface Mountain outside Lake Placid (not part of LP Ironman course). Push down and away on the bars on the “inside” side and put all your weight on your “outside” leg, pedal down in the 6 O’clock position. Lean hard. Keep your body low and aero. Let it rip.
Confidence is key. The more you think about what you don’t want to happen, the slower you’ll go. In addition, fear makes you more of a danger to yourself and the people descending behind you.
Look ahead, don’t focus on the road immediately in front of you.
Anticipate your need to brake before the turn. Don’t brake in a turn.
Practice, practice, practice
i’ve only topped out @ 85-90km/h…down richter pass @ IMC was a little bit wierd b/c of all the people…but it was a wicked rush.
I love descending, i am heavy…and stupid, so i just go. That said, i have not once lost control of anything (hit a pothole @ 85km/h) and still felt fine. It’s just having confidence in your ability to stay in control.
(Either that, or really really big cahoonies ;P)
ive hit 59 mph and severely lost the ability to steer at the speed–but it was just a straight downhill, no turns.
jeremyb
First off don’t ride a 979 frame - though I think I did go over 60mph on mine one time. Don’t think about what could happen, and don’t use your brakes unless you absolutely have to.
You know you are going fast when you pass all the cars and the guy in a Porsche who got pissed when you passed him goes into the ditch trying to overtake you.
I don’t go that fast anymore because my bone density is not up to spec and I am afeared of crashin and having multiple fractures in a no cell zone in the middle of nowhere where all the good descents are.
I moved from the flatlands to a location with short steep foothills about 2 yrs ago. People just flew past me on the hills, 45mph was about it. Although the hills are straight for the most part, the roads are often not perfect so you are often picking spots. I eventually started following a few of the faster descender to get confident and actually hit 60mph this last summer. I hit 50mph on 90% of my rides and don’t even think about it anymore . . . maybe that is not a good sign.
Last fall my buddy and I were bombing down some road in the White Mountains around 50mph and I looked up and there was a moose so close I probably could have touched him. He was on the grass next to the shoulder and luckily we scared him enough he bolted the other way instead of into us.
The flip side, if you don’t want to become a better descender, is by improving your climbing you will more than make up the difference last in descending a little slower.
motor pacing helps, as does crit racing. Basically you have to be super relaxed and used to controlling your bike fast.