Descending
disgruntledgoat
Posts: 8,957
I've never been able to work out why I'm so scared of going downhill fast... But at least part of it is cars. How do you guys deal with the knowledge that if you take a quick line through a bend, you're going to have to take an almighty risk if it turns out something is coming the other way?
I came down Kirkstone today and with the ammount of traffic on a wet road, just couldn't convince myself to let it go.
I came down Kirkstone today and with the ammount of traffic on a wet road, just couldn't convince myself to let it go.
"In many ways, my story was that of a raging, Christ-like figure who hauled himself off the cross, looked up at the Romans with blood in his eyes and said 'My turn, sock cookers'"
@gietvangent
@gietvangent
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trust in your tyres and brakes helps, and experience with lines and speed helps too but in the end it comes down to bottle really. If you're a risk taker you try understand what's involved (usually) but still take it on (usually). MTBing helps too, as you get used to the bike moving around at speed, and the feel for grip. Roadie descending is different though, more about lines and entry speeds than outright grip.
Kirkstone in the wet isn't really the place to be pushing it though :shock: . In the dry it's a cracking descent though, and fast.Facts are meaningless, you can use facts to prove anything that's remotely true! - Homer0 -
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You only discover your limits when you exceed them. If your senses are telling you to slow down, listen to them.
You're not scared - you've got a heightened sense of self-preservation!<font>Hemingway Soapbags</font>0 -
Wogan wrote:You only discover your limits when you exceed them. If your senses are telling you to slow down, listen to them.
You're not scared - you've got a heightened sense of self-preservation!
I was trying to figure out last night coming down Honister if i was more stable at high or low speed on an insanely rutted road at 25%. I plumped for low in the end!"In many ways, my story was that of a raging, Christ-like figure who hauled himself off the cross, looked up at the Romans with blood in his eyes and said 'My turn, sock cookers'"
@gietvangent0 -
there is a big difference between swooping down smooth continental roads in glorious sunshine keeping a low centre of gravity and leaning hard through the bends and keeping little yaw and watching out for thye endless areas covered in leaves, gravel, pot holes and wet patches on a cold damp day in Britain.
Confidence is everything and when conditions knock your confidence then you´ll descend more slowly and more SAFELY.
BTW why would you EVER blindly cut across to the other side of the road - are you absolutely mad?--
Obsessed is just a word elephants use to describe the dedicated. http://markliversedge.blogspot.com0 -
indeed one of my favourate downhills around the north downs isn't that steep but it's dry and has good sight lines so you can let the bike go a lot more. if you can't see you certinaly can't stop!0
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You don't need to cut blind corners to descend quickly. You need to look at taking the best
safe line, to look a long way ahead at your exit point, and concentrate on keeping your weight in the right place to balance your bike.0 -
redddraggon wrote:I never cut corners unless I can see there's nothing around that corner. Not worth the risk, bearing in my mind I'm not getting paid for doing it.
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redddraggon wrote:I never cut corners unless I can see there's nothing around that corner. Not worth the risk, bearing in my mind I'm not getting paid for doing it.
Does that mean that you would take greater risks with your life if you WERE getting paid for it?
Surely some logical flaw there.0 -
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redddraggon wrote:terongi wrote:Surely some logical flaw there.
You're telling me Pros don't take risks coming down Alpine passes? ...
No0 -
terongi wrote:redddraggon wrote:terongi wrote:Surely some logical flaw there.
You're telling me Pros don't take risks coming down Alpine passes? ...
No
So where is the flawed logic then?0 -
Terongi, I wholeheartedly disagree! Course they do, hence the number of crashes...0
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redddraggon wrote:So where is the flawed logic then?
See above0 -
Doh! Misread, apologies.0
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Surely there is no point taking any risk on a descent you're not comfortable with. Assuming you're not in a competitive race then you should go as fast as you're comfortable with / enjoying - any faster is pointlessly risky surely. Over time as you gain experience and skills you'll begin to relax and shift your weight more rythmically and lose some of your fear.
Never lose your sense of caution however - the worst descender I know was memorably described by a coach as descending "like a house on roller skates" and he's has sustained some nasty injuries having decided he is an ace descender despite a complete lack of skills!
Have a look at this:
http://www.videojug.com/film/cyclefilms ... descending0 -
Thanks for the link!
I've been at it ten years now and you'd think that I would have improved some. I actually picked up quite a lot after a trip to the alps a few years ago but a broken collarbone and a broken elbow knocked my confidence again, as I don't seem to have minor accidents."In many ways, my story was that of a raging, Christ-like figure who hauled himself off the cross, looked up at the Romans with blood in his eyes and said 'My turn, sock cookers'"
@gietvangent0 -
You're welcome - I think it would knock anyone's confidence and I know some really outstanding bikehandlers who are cautious descenders for just the same reason. I very much doubt Oscar Pereira will be hurtling down Alpine passes with quite the same enthusiasm as in the past.
The really important point I think is relax your body, particularly arms and shoulders and bend your arms slightly to absorb bumps / surprises. I descend quite fast but only when I can see clear road in front of me, in dry weather and when I know the road. Short, sharp descents in England can be covered in crud and gravel and I'll be much more careful. It sounds to me as though you're probably quicker and more confident than you think. Are you overtaken all the time by clubmates or is it your perception that you're scared / slow?0 -
I'm always passed and left for dead by clubmates. I lose shedloads of places in the bunch racing too on any kind of dangerous descent. I always go into them thinking all the right things, I know how to move my body around the bike, I know to keep my arms bent but then I find myself constantly grabbing at the brakes. It's a mental thing rather than a skills thing (although never tested that I have such skills!)"In many ways, my story was that of a raging, Christ-like figure who hauled himself off the cross, looked up at the Romans with blood in his eyes and said 'My turn, sock cookers'"
@gietvangent0 -
Watch some more experienced riders take the corners and see what they do. I watched an old boy go past me on a nice continental road simply by braking later and harder into the hairpins and accelerating out at the apex. I'd catch him up on the straight and he'd pull out at least 50m on each hairpin.
I got a lot faster descending when I forced myself to let go of the brakes at the apex of each bend. This makes you do all the braking before the apex minimising the chances of you losing the back wheel. It also feels much safer as you are more in control. I wouldn't cross the white lines unless it is a closed road race, but I do sit in the middle of the carriageway when descending (fast) I'm not slowing the traffic down and it gives me somewhere to go when white van man turns up.0 -
Good advice again. I find i'm fine down something like Dunmail Raise where I can see clearly ahead and there's no sudden tight corners. It's steep gradients and the like that get to me."In many ways, my story was that of a raging, Christ-like figure who hauled himself off the cross, looked up at the Romans with blood in his eyes and said 'My turn, sock cookers'"
@gietvangent0 -
Phil
I am similar to you. In the UK i am quite nervous on our descents and will lose places in the bunch in a race (although the Bilsmoor incident does not play on my mind)
However, in France in both the big alpine passes and the long descents down by my place in the Alpes Maritimes I can descend at the same pace as the lads in our club (when i have taken them over there), who can drop me on a UK descent.
I think it is a combination for me of the UK's rutted, gravelly surfaces and being over cautious.
The speed doesn't bother me as I have had over 60mph coming off Ventoux. And close to that off the Glandon.
One things for sure, it's annoying, it should be one of those things that everyone can do the same being as it doesn't rely on fitness.0 -
Oh the cruel irony. I just came down on a blinding descent in Majorca. IT HAD JUST STOPPED RAINING.
You know what mistake I made right?
Thank god there was nothing coming in the opposite direction as I slid across and caught some cacking road rash on my right hip, I'm one lucky b@st@rd I'd have been flattened if there was a car coming up.
I'm ok, my hip is killing me, but fine otherwise. No thanks to the German tourists cycling past me on the way up tho. Thanks for nothing, literally. Are you OK they asked as they cycled off.
Might take it a bit easier for the rest of the hols! :oops:--
Obsessed is just a word elephants use to describe the dedicated. http://markliversedge.blogspot.com0
