Descending - Lanes & Shadows

kingrollo

I have really lost my bottle when it comes to descending. The problem seems at worst on hills +8% - where overhanging growth casts a shadow on the road.

I wear reasonably strong (-5) prescription glasses - and don't like driving at night - as other headlights dazzle me. When I start to go fast downhill - I can't tell shadows from potholes ! - its pretty embarassing when club riding, as I am dawdling down the hills - whilst everyone else is zipping past !

Have my eyes checked regularly - with no problems found

Any tips guys ?

Monty Dog

Tricky - the only real solution is familiarity with the routes and therefore your confidence in knowing that the dark patch is probably only a shadow.

Rouge Penguin

Man up?

I'm kidding. i would suggest either riding it a few times to get familiar with the road and its holes and as an extreme, walk it.

There's a stretch or 10-12% i ride often and the first time i nearly shit myself after the road started to fall apart about 2/3s of the way down at 35-40mph+. Now i know the route, i know where to avoid.

If its just in general, ride hills more often to grow your confidence in your handling skills.

redbullmonsta

Hi kingrollo

I have just returned to road riding and have a very similar problem, only a bit worse i think.

As background information i am 36 and rode seriously from age 12 to 22ish. I would ride as fast as i could downhill (52x13 maxed out!) i hit over 50mph a number of times and never felt nervous. I wonder if it was my age or maybe the bike i had "felt" safer (big steel MBK).

I recently got the bug again and found a 1980's peugeot, had a few rides, 20 - 30 miles on the flat. Decided i had to get into the saddle properly (possibly to do TT and some Road Racing). I then heard about Sportives! So i went and spent £5,000 on a Colnago C50.

I doubt i have been over 25mph and definitely not over 30mph. Downhill i am gripping the brakes hard, on the flat i feel jittery and nervous, i feel so nervous on rough stretches of road i end up doing no more that 10mph. I just can relax and enjoy my ride.

i wonder if i just need to ride more, but after 3 hours of riding (33mi, avg 11mph) i feel hopelessly demoralised.

Help and advice more than welcome

Rouge Penguin

50mph on a steel MBK? Itchy......

redbullmonsta

Rouge Penguin wrote:

50mph on a steel MBK? Itchy......

itchy?

careful

I think it has been worse this year because of all the potholes. Even the few roads around here that were re-surfaced last year have bike traps in them. Highway authorites have been working hard to repair them but there are still plenty.

cougie

rbm - find a straight hill with no hazards on it.

Ride down it and note your max and how nothing bad happened.

Climb back up and come down again aiming to go faster this time.

Repeat until you get the hang of it ?

As you know from your youth - speed isnt anything to be scared of.

Headhuunter

I find that the harder I grip the brakes and bars the more jittery and jumpy the bike feels when descending fast. I raise myself on the pedals off the seat, one knee touching the top bar, hands loosely holding the hoods and try to "go with the bike". Must admit though it can be scary on shady bits of road with all the new potholes from last winter, however if yiou hit one I find that it's easier to keep control if you're not as stiff as a board gripping for dear life

redbullmonsta

cougie - sounds like a good idea, will try that

Headhunter - i thought the same and tried to just rest my hands behind the hoods, hit a pothole and felt myself lurch forward almost loosing my grip completely. I know you are right though. I wonder if my handlebars are a bit too low?

rick_chasey

close is as good as a miss!

Headhuunter

redbullmonsta wrote:

cougie - sounds like a good idea, will try that

Headhunter - i thought the same and tried to just rest my hands behind the hoods, hit a pothole and felt myself lurch forward almost loosing my grip completely. I know you are right though. I wonder if my handlebars are a bit too low?

I find that I tend to pull back slightly, my bum off the seat and my weight over the back wheel and I tend to tighten my core muscles a bit whilst letting my arms and hands relax slightly. That works for me anyway...