proper descending?

dbmnk

So today I had a 10 km descend on small gnarly roads with many cars, which forced me to hang a lot in the brakes.

My rims got extremely hot to the point that my rear wheel got a bit untrue, and in cornering I felt my rear was unstable (perhaps due to untrue). In one corner I lost grip, but got out of it ok.

The GPS said max speed was 67km/h, but I think I mostly did around 45km/h.

Now how do I descend in a safe and proper manner? I really have a fear of brake /wheel malfunctioning,

(My wheels a classically spoked with 14 g spokes, alu rims, latex innertubes and GP4000 tires.)

proto

Try riding like this

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j_wEG2RN ... re=related

roger_merriman

calm and smooth seems to be the key, look where the turn goes and how, and plot your path though it.

Rockhopper

I try and alternate between front and back brakes to give them a chance to cool down a bit. Sitting up can also help slow you a liitle so you don't need to brake as hard.

dbmnk

right, problem is that I can't ride smooth through the corners due to cars in front and oncoming traffic.
I've heard about the alternating brake-use, but I would have to squeeze that single brake much harder in order to slow down, and am not sure that'll help on heat buildup and that also makes me worry if the brake will malfunction - any comments on that?

eh

Just give yourself more room between the cars, by backing off the car in front of you while holding a line that means no one can overtake provided there is oncoming traffic. Then you have more space to brake harder but then let them go, to give them time to cool down. Air braking as described by Rockhopper is also really useful.

Can't imagine brakes will fail provided they are set up correctly and in good condition (assuming they are standard road brakes from one of the main companies e.g. Shimano, Campag).

Anonymous

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sRSFUnclJGQ&NR=1

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3jC6vGMEVXU



BUT NOT -

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h_8m5-sR6I4

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0O5d94P6JGo

Edwin

Easy, sprint past the cars so they're not in the way any more

maddog 2

I very much doubt anyone on the internet can teach you how to descend.

Anonymous

Least of all me...

TommyEss

Surely if you're descending that fast you can sit in the primary position on the road and take whatever line you need to - i.e. smoothe out the turns?

I like alternating front and rear, but I also find it good to brake hard on the run up to the turn, then lean it in and let gravity accelerate me out of the corner (I'm about 14st so all of my descending is pretty quick, whether I want to or not)

eh

Surely if you're descending that fast you can sit in the primary position on the road

Ignoring the fact that 28mph average isn't very fast. But you take take up an aggressive position on the road even at 15mph, often safer than ending up crashing into potholes or whatever.

vorsprung

I am not the greatest descender in the world. Probably I have crashed too often and I am too old and less able to take risks.

I thought this write up was quite good however, lots of tips

http://www.flammerouge.je/content/3_fac ... escend.htm

jairaj

Im not a roadie, but the basics of cornering and braking are the same in any discipline, MTB, motor racing etc and I do cycle a bit on the roads too.

When you brake, brake in a confident and concise manner. Don't drag your brakes this will lead to them over heating.

Stay off the brakes when going round the turn. The wheel finds it very hard to brake and find grip in a turn. Try and get the braking done before the corner.

I know the above is easier said than done when on the road, as there are other vehicles around you sharing the road. Also as suggested above stay in the primary position when going round the turn so you can take the optimum safe line for you.

Also don't forget the guys in the videos above are Pros, this is their job, so don't expect to match them or get close to them without plenty of practice and experience.

oldwelshman

I think most experienced riders brake with more front than back brke and I would be very surprised if your wheel became out of true due to heat, if that was the case your tyres would have melted first
It is always better to take off speed before cornerring and not during cornerring, that makes the bike unstable, especially if you brake to hard.
Not sure about the benefits of alternating the brakes but I haven't done it nd not needed to.
During the Marmotte I hit 63mph and used little brakes except for the other side of the Galibier, down Lauteret I think.
Worst decent I have ever done was In dolomites just North of Treviso, on carbon rims.
over 30 swithcbacks with most of them at the top with very little distance between them and very steep so on the brakes a lot.
After 15km and after three stops to pour water on brakes, I had none left at the bottom!!!
The moral is don't use deep rims on long decents

wombler

This looks like fun:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IR_VMKdI3xc

37monkey

I don't know if this good advice or not but coming from a mountain bike background I tend to corner with 2/3rds of my wheight on the outside peddal to me it makes the back wheel feel a lot more planted and grippy. and gives me confidence to carry a little bit more speed.

Garz

Rockhopper wrote:

I try and alternate between front and back brakes to give them a chance to cool down a bit. Sitting up can also help slow you a liitle so you don't need to brake as hard.

I do this too, only minor difference is on downhills I tend to use the back more as you dont want to be turning and using front brake when going full pelt.

dbmnk

NapoleonD wrote:

BUT NOT -

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h_8m5-sR6I4

I see, so there is no advantage in cutting the corner early...

dbmnk

vorsprung wrote:

I am not the greatest descender in the world. Probably I have crashed too often and I am too old and less able to take risks.

I thought this write up was quite good however, lots of tips

http://www.flammerouge.je/content/3_fac ... escend.htm

thats pretty good, thanks

dbmnk

I've seen enough TdF's to state that I'm a pretty good descender, only problem is fighting with traffic. Slow cars in front, narrow roads, shorts stretches of straight road before each hairpin loop. Could I just get past the cars I'd be much better off, but they more seem to want to race me, when I try go past, and then there is a whole line of them, making it really frustrating to combat with. No fun descending at all. So I'm off to harassing the cars to try to make them pull over. All this combating really put a load on the brakes and perhaps I should just try go more easy with the traffic.

antfly

Where is this 10km descent?

chinchli

Some pretty good basic advice here: http://www.bikeradar.com/fitness/article/beginner-technique-five-common-cycling-mistakes-22915

Try and take a Zen approach, be one with the traffic, go with the flow. Hold your position in the line and give yourself plenty of space.

If the traffic starts to get really heavy take a 5 minute break, 10K descents normally give you pretty good views

dbmnk

antfly wrote:

Where is this 10km descent?

http://maps.google.com/maps?f=d&source= ... 2&t=p&z=13

antfly

You`re in Japan!

dbmnk

antfly wrote:

You`re in Japan!

let me just check that...

antfly

I`m surprised you didn`t mention it, there can`t be many on here who do their cycling in Japan.

dbmnk

antfly wrote:

I`m surprised you didn`t mention it, there can`t be many on here who do their cycling in Japan.

well it takes a while to get out there for the sunday-morning ride, but it's worth it...

But plenty on here have experience from the alps, which must be somewhat similar to what I ride.