Descending faster

phreak

As a titch going downhill quickly isn't a natural thing, but I'd like to do so better than I currently do as it's disheartening seeing all the people you pass on the way up zooming past on the way down.

Any tips on how to descend better? Is it something you can train for?

Pokerface

Gain a lot of weight. That worked for me. :oops:

chrisw12

Pointless advice since I'm advising buying a sledge hammer to crack a peanut but...

Buy a motor bike.

glasgowbhoy

There was a link on here recently, think it was one of the Marmotte threads with some great advice on cornering techniques on fast descents. Worth having a trawl for it

phreak

The thing is I felt like I was going much better downhill until I did the Maratona last year, and going downhill quickly when surrounded by hundreds of crazy Italians is another thing entirely to going down on your own. Kinda lost my nerve and just got down safely until numbers thinned out a bit.

ut_och_cykla

I think there is soem descending tips on Flamme rouge excellent pages - Google adress as I don't have it to hand!

richa

I doubt weight is a limiting factor for your descending speed. More likely skill (and then aero).

These are some good tips:
http://www.flammerouge.je/content/3_factsheets/constant/descend.htm

meanredspider

richa wrote:

I doubt weight is a limiting factor for your descending speed. More likely skill (and then aero).

Sounds more like "nerve" and confidence from what the OP has said.

Practice on your own and build up confidence. Focus out as far as you can and focus on the gaps rather than the obstructions. Experiment with grip in "safer" circumstances so you have some sense of what you have "under" you. If you are small, you should have an aero advantage from a simple "frontal area" point of view.

Zachariah

Go even faster uphill so you are so far ahead of the slow climbers they don't catch you up on the other side. This seems to work in the TdF, or the whippets would be last every time!