QUESTION: Am I really the only rider out here with enough self-preservation instinct to be afraid of going fast downhill? I’m a (shudder) descentophobic! Can you help? — Alice C.
RBR REPLIES: Don’t feel bad. Lots of cyclists feel apprehensive on fast descents. It’s not paranoia because bad things really can happen if you fall off while going fast.
Some riders are naturally more aggressive than others and have a very good kinesthetic sense, so they descend fast and look forward to it. Others have a highly developed sense of self-preservation, so they go more cautiously.
There’s nothing intrinsically wrong with either approach. But if you want to descend faster without sacrificing safety, here are some tips:
- Be sure your equipment is in top shape. If you’re worrying about whether your wheels are reliable or your brakes are effective, you won’t descend with confidence. Be sure your bike is safe at any speed. Never run a worn or damaged front tire because if it blows out on a descent it may be impossible to control the bike.
- Learn proper descending technique. Consult good riders, a local coach or consider going to a cycling camp where downhill skills are emphasized. The best ones I know teach countersteering, which works great for fast downhill turns.
- Follow better descenders. A huge part of descending well is picking the right line through turns. When you follow a good descender, you can trace his or herpath and get to the bottom with greater speed and safety. Stay several bike lengths back and put your wheels right where theirs have been.
- Ride off-road. Curvy singletrack with downhills will teach you a lot that carries over to the road. Speeds are slower so there’s usually less penalty for a crash — assuming you land on grass not rocks!
- Ride at the top limit of your comfort zone. That’s how your skills are continuously improve
First, and most importantly, know that there is no shame, unless you’re racing, in descending with caution. Whether this is something to be “cured” is entirely up to the individual.
Second, before suggesting solutions, I would start with some introspection. Consider some questions such as:
• How fast is fast enough?
• Under what conditions – surfaces, rural vs. urban vs. suburban, mountains or rollers – are you experiencing fear? What is it that you’re actually afraid of? Of course it’s easy to say “crashing,” but high-speed impacts can happen under countless other circumstances too. What we’re trying to get to here is the specific concerns that need to be overcome. What scary thoughts run through your head when the bicycle reaches a speed of “too fast”?
• What experiences have you had or witnessed that might contribute to these fears?
• Why do you want to descend faster? What motivations do you have for overcoming these fears? Why does it matter? (It’s just as ok that it does as it is ok if it doesn’t.)
For the most part I agree with the provided answers. It is definitely important to be confident in the condition of your equipment, good tires, brakes in perfect condition and properly adjusted, wheels are true, fasteners tight, etc. Develop the habit of checking these things before the start of every ride.
Safely descending at speed is a skill, and learning it builds confidence. There are many articles and books that discuss these skills. As suggested, coaching can help tremendously, whether by a professional or a friend who already possesses the skills. Practice them gradually, and it’s true that off-road handling skills tend to make on-road skills profoundly better.
Observing other skilled descenders is a good idea, but only if you know what you’re looking for. I respectfully disagree with the suggestion to follow their line exactly… Instead, develop your skills and understanding to choose your own line. Copying theirs might be the best line, but you need the ability to both select the line on your own, and to execute it on your own. You can learn a great deal by following and observing a superior descender, but you’ll also be trying to keep up before developing the ability to do so safely.
Something else not discussed is the contribution that braking skills make to going faster. Learn when and how to brake, to keep your brakes cool and effective, slowing you down just enough to manage a turn and then to accelerate out toward the next one. Great brakes allow you to use them judiciously, leading to more confidence and higher speeds.
Finally, the bike itself and your fit on it – weight distribution, handling geometry, your own preferences and handling style – can play enormous roles in your confidence and abilities in high-speed descents. In decades of fitting and designing custom bicycles, part of the in-depth discussion with every client has required them to consider questions similar to those above. Do you like to descend fast? Do you care to descent faster? Is your lack of confidence due to the bike, rooted more in yourself, or some of both? Their experience, intentions, and concerns contributed heavily to how we’d design a bike to accommodate. A bike designed to read your mind and do what you ask without wresting with it – combined with desire and skill – makes descending almost second nature.
Interesting in reading this that the advice is almost the same as that given to downhill skiers for how to improve their skills. If you want to get better, look at all aspects and practice, practice, practice.
I agree with what the others have said, but I think there’s one more thing to consider. If you’re not racing, I assume that one of your motivations for cycling is having fun. If pushing yourself to go faster on descents isn’t fun for you, perhaps it’s not worth the effort.
I happen to really enjoy descending, but I ride with several people who simply aren’t comfortable descending at higher speeds, so they ride at a pace where they’re comfortable. That make rides more enjoyable for them, which is the point.
Descending at higher speeds doesn’t mean that taking unnecessary risks. However, it requires you to be relaxed and comfortable on the bike. If you’re nervous and tense, you’re not going to be comfortable and you’ll feel like you’re fighting with your bike. Keeping a death grip on the bars makes it harder to deal with bumps and corners. Relaxing your upper body allows you to flow with the road.
Here’s an idea for you. Find a downhill stretch that’s relatively straight and smooth, and practice descending it at increasing speeds, focusing on staying relaxed. If you start to get tense, back off until you’re comfortable, then try it again. You may find that with each repetition, you can go a bit faster, but if you reach a point where you simply can’t go faster comfortably, that’s fine, as you now know your personal speed limit for that descent. Whether you choose to push harder or not is completely up to you, but there’s no shame in saying “that’s fast enough for me”.
If you find that you’re making progress increasing your speed and you enjoy it, move on to other descents where you have to brake and corner, and repeat the same process. As you become for proficient and confident, you’ll have more fun.
Whatever your personal outcome is, enjoy the ride!
Alice,
Some other tips for you to try.
– Descend in the drops. This lowers your center of gravity and makes you more stable.
– Make sure you are comfortable making turns at a high speed. Practice turns on a flat road. Always look where you want to go (never down at your front wheel), press down on your outside foot (inside foot should be up so you don’t smack the pedal).
– Feather your brakes, don’t ride them
Another drill you can do to practice cornering comfortably is to put cones out in a parking lot. If you can easily maneuver around cones, it will help you out on the road.
Practice will give you confidence.
Good luck