Improving descending in and around the Peak District

navier_stokes
navier_stokes Posts: 77
edited May 2011 in Training, fitness and health
I've improved quite a bit on my climbing in and around the Peak District (Derby side mainly) in the last year, but I've still got issues descending.

The descents from Peak hills are usually, shortish, sharp and badly surfaced - often with lots of loose gravel from the quarries. I end up constantly on the brakes due to lack of confidence (recently exaggerated by a reasonably nasty off).

Any tips are very much welcomed!

Comments

  • Garz
    Garz Posts: 1,155
    Without the comfort of closed roads people cant encourage you to take risks especially practising on sharp badly surfaced roads.

    Find some long descents with little winding to begin with and practice controlling the bike at speed. You can also practice at lower speeds by free-wheeling focusing on picking the best line in the road getting the angles/body positions precise.
  • I am the god of hell fire
    I am the god of hell fire Posts: 326
    Try the Dark Peak eg Abney, Fiddlers to H'sage, Grindleford, Beeley, etc

    None longer than 5km ish but they sound better than what youre used to

    Much better
  • Tom Butcher
    Tom Butcher Posts: 3,830
    Not sure I agree they are mostly short and sharp - there's a bit of variety if you look around - a good one is the descent from Longcliffe down towards A515 though if you want something relatively easy.

    If I was up near Grindleford I'd descend down by Chequers Inn (Froggat ?) into Curbar (I think) rather than into Grindleford past the station cafe - the Grindleford one is just straight and steep and is more a test of nerve than anything else.

    Beeley is nice but visibility isn't great from memory - I normally go up rather than down that one though so could be wrong. Does that count as Dark Peak then ?

    Derby Mercury have a Saturday ride that goes up into the Peak most weeks - descending with others always helps.
    it's a hard life if you don't weaken.
  • navier_stokes
    navier_stokes Posts: 77
    Tom Butcher wrote:
    Not sure I agree they are mostly short and sharp - there's a bit of variety if you look around - a good one is the descent from Longcliffe down towards A515 though if you want something relatively easy.

    If I was up near Grindleford I'd descend down by Chequers Inn (Froggat ?) into Curbar (I think) rather than into Grindleford past the station cafe - the Grindleford one is just straight and steep and is more a test of nerve than anything else.

    Beeley is nice but visibility isn't great from memory - I normally go up rather than down that one though so could be wrong. Does that count as Dark Peak then ?

    Derby Mercury have a Saturday ride that goes up into the Peak most weeks - descending with others always helps.

    Yeah I've been up and down the B5056 (down to the A515 and the other way to Nether Haddon) and I'm fine with those type of descents on wider roads.

    It's more the descents on smaller or back roads, as a result of reasonably decent climbs.

    For example parts of the B5035 down to Whatstandwell I'm not overly comfortable with at all. I guess it is just more practice at the end of the day?!
  • Tom Butcher
    Tom Butcher Posts: 3,830
    The descent from Crich to Whatstandwell down the main hill ? That's a high speed one isn't it. If the speed is an issue then I've found practicing braking hard with the front wheel helps - being comfortable scrubbing off speed quickly means you are happier travelling at speed. I don't really enjoy descents that go well above 40mph but I've got better at letting the bike build up speed knowing that I can scrub off the speed if I have to.

    If you are out that far try the Froggat descent as that is fairly fast and long - one of the best I can think of within reach - it's the A625 down to Calver.

    Yeah I think it is largely practice pushing your comfort limits a bit each time and riding with others so you can follow their lines and see how fast you can descend. I remember when I started out cycling the local Saturday training ride used to drop down Holly Lane to Ambergate and I'd always get dropped off the back down there - so I went out one day to practice and ended up stacking it at the bottom which didn't do wonders for my confidence next time we went down there in a group.
    it's a hard life if you don't weaken.
  • rick_chasey
    rick_chasey Posts: 75,660
    In my experience when I was in sheffield was -

    Don't brake much

    Have a very loose grip on your handle bars,

    Take a lil weight off the sadle

    Bring the weight towards the rear.

    Job's a good'un.
    _
  • navier_stokes
    navier_stokes Posts: 77
    Tom Butcher wrote:
    If you are out that far try the Froggat descent as that is fairly fast and long - one of the best I can think of within reach - it's the A625 down to Calver.

    Thanks for the tip, I haven't made it out that far yet, but will be sure to try soon!
  • Tom Butcher
    Tom Butcher Posts: 3,830
    http://bikeroutetoaster.com/Course.aspx?course=252323
    it's a hard life if you don't weaken.
  • Simon Notley
    Simon Notley Posts: 1,263
    I crashed into (actually 'over' would be more accurate) a dry stone wall whilst descending Curbar Edge after reccying it for the BUSA hill climb champs back in 2005 or so. Despite doing >40mph on the entrance to the corner my worst injuries were nettle stings due to ending up lying in a patch of them with my bike on top of me.

    Of course, this is of little use to the OP...

    I would suggest that you take it easy on the descents. The kind of short sharp drops you talk about are less about skill and more about appetite for risk and how well you know the road ahead. Some guys that are going fast may not be 'better' than you, they may just have a different appetite for risk.

    To increase your skills and confidence, firstly practice on smoother more open descents. It sounds like you're doing this already. Secondly, take the chance to go to the mountains if you ever get it. There's nothing like 30 mins of continuous descending to get you used to it! Thirdly,if you don't already, do some mountain biking on technical trails. This is a very different skill to road biking, but can be a good way to imrpove general self-awareness, balance and ability to relax the shoulders and let the bike 'flow'. Last but not least, just ride your bike and enjoy it, relax and 'listen' to the interactions between your body and the bike, you'll get better without even realising.
  • RickyG
    RickyG Posts: 58
    +1 for the descent into Beeley.

    The road surface is decent and I find that it's not so steep that you need to brake other than a quick dab for the left handers, but it is windy enough to get some good descending practice in. Keep into the left as it's only just wide enough for two cars and just watch out for the left handers which are a little bit tight.

    Rich
    Strava name: Richard Gawthorpe
  • Pennine Daz
    Pennine Daz Posts: 34
    Ilkeston based myself. Been doing the descents a lot of years. I tend to just let go as im pretty confident. Like tom says over 40 and u have to have a fair bit of confidence.

    Descents like coming off crich, or say down from black rocks or even say down from drum hill are all over in a few moments.
    A good prectice descent is the road from alport heights.
    Come all the way down to belper. The top part is a bit tracky and yes a bit of grit about but when you hang left then head down again its pretty good to belper.

    Experiment with your styles but keep safe.

    The a 615 back down into matlock is good as well. Head to crich and meet it about 1 1/2 miles above tansley.

    Been out today for 60 miles in that wind. The peak district is brilliant for riding.
    Another good descent is the a6 from just topside of taddington. The dual carrigeway bit.

    If you need a bit more local one , ride to codnor , hang a right at the pet shop and head down past ormonde fields golf club on the a610,up a bit then you have that lovely descent
    Down to langley mill, then right up to heanor church and then back to derby.

    There is the road from newhaven back to cromford. The part from just past pikehall down past grangemill is fairly long.
    Loads more.

    Ulitmate descent for me is coming off fleet moss. Rapid
  • Pennine Daz
    Pennine Daz Posts: 34
    Navier the road from crich back to whatstandwel is fast as is the other one that goes down to holloway.
    Maybe just a case of gradually building it up. Both of them have slight turns in them that just have you having a little think to yourself.
    I think i go quickly simply because i am a fellrunner and for years have done descents like scafell pike, ben nevis, blencathara etc.

    Your probably doing much better than you think.
    Some of the great descenders are just simply bonkers. There was a guy on the etape du dales when it was hammering it down and i just could only just hang with him, he was doing 50 mph in places and i thought why take the risk, its a bloody sportive. It certainly made me go faster than i would if i was on my own. He was just simply a little more comfortable with it than me. Not much but a bit.

    Have some good rides but be carefull.
  • Garz
    Garz Posts: 1,155
    As some interviews with pro's regarding descending fast (and being able to hack the race pain) the general response is 'we are just crazy'. Good enough for me, the rest of the normal folk see risks et al.

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