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Post by william39 on Oct 2, 2013 15:11:35 GMT
We've had a few threads on climbing but haven't seen one on descending. What are your tips for descending quickly and safely? I must admit that I still take it easy on the descents and am a little afraid of crashing, how do you get over this?
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Post by Rocket on Oct 2, 2013 15:50:25 GMT
Forward observation is the key and do not use your brakes as they will slow you down. I can't pedal any faster than 45 MPH on standard gearing so if you are not above 45 MPH then you should still be pedalling and not having a breather. Use the drops.
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Post by robertsims on Oct 2, 2013 16:13:46 GMT
Not my strength either - Radchenister is best I know at descending, on local steep decent Strava segment he averages about 60mph - yes I did mean averages 60! Over to you rad!
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Post by bigjamie on Oct 2, 2013 16:28:08 GMT
i just go for it so far my best is 52 mph i just try and get a little quicker each time just keep your eyes open and go for it
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Post by Deleted on Oct 2, 2013 16:44:28 GMT
Living in Suffolk we have an absence of proper climbs - and therefore descents.
But one thing I've noticed more experienced riders do is, one you've got up a decent head of speed, DON'T pedal. Perfect opportunity to let the legs recover.
I use the hooks so fingers are ready to brreak, get low, feet level on the pedals and grip the top tube with my knees. When cornering use as much of the road as possible, aim for the apex and look at the exit.
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Post by Radchenister on Oct 2, 2013 18:26:34 GMT
Not my strength either - Radchenister is best I know at descending, on local steep decent Strava segment he averages about 60mph - yes I did mean averages 60! Over to you rad! Learn to ride a superbike properly on road and track for about 10 years and then transfer the techniques (carefully, as they're similar but not exactly the same) lol !!!
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Post by DelB on Oct 2, 2013 18:40:28 GMT
But one thing I've noticed more experienced riders do is, one you've got up a decent head of speed, DON'T pedal. Perfect opportunity to let the legs recover. Top advice. I use techniques honed from circa 15 years of mountain biking. Pedal until you can pedal no more, hands on the drops and grip lightly, two fingers covering the brakes, weight back with inside of thighs gently gripping the saddle and tuck down low to get as aero as possible.
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Post by Radchenister on Oct 2, 2013 18:43:07 GMT
Right, first things first - it's dangerous going fast, not the speed that hurts you, it's getting it wrong and hitting things at speed that does it; get hill climbing wrong and the worse you can do is have a clipless moment (dodgy if there's a car passing of course); chuck in some velocity and obstacles and it's a different game.
It's not the 10 or so first moves and technique development attempts you get right, as you gain confidence and speed up that matter, it's the 1 you get wrong that hurts, I am used to banking a big bike over and forcing it around corners at times (when things get a bit feisty, as a corner fights back) but doing this on a flexy wheeled / framed aluminium skeleton of a thing, with booger all contact patches (bit of tyre on road) worries me at times and I'm an ex-speed freak, you cannot force it at all on a road bike, remember the pros have far more rigid bikes as well.
You may get it wrong first time you try it, you may not, it's caution over valour to begin with - you may think 'Wiggo is a pussy' (to quote one member on here), personally I think he knows his limitations and with a couple of Β£million and a family life, there's not much point in proving how big his kahunas are if it's not his forte; get too cocky and you'll be in the gravel / on the verge / doing a 'Uran' from last week. When it goes wrong, it all slows down and feels like there's a tractor beam pulling you off the line you wished you'd taken - que example of someone doing exactly this, going off line, breaking wrong, weighting wrong, in-speed wrong = ouch:
Then we're on to descending, boys from GCN cover it pretty well:
Setting your drops and brakes up right is important, I only changed brake blocks and added the shims into the front brakes so I could reach them better when I started climbing bigger hills and descending faster.
Here's a master at work:
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Post by johnc60 on Oct 2, 2013 18:54:52 GMT
Not my strength either - Radchenister is best I know at descending, on local steep decent Strava segment he averages about 60mph - yes I did mean averages 60! Over to you rad! Learn to ride a superbike properly on road and track for about 10 years and then transfer the techniques (carefully, as they're similar but not exactly the same) lol !!! +1 Although I'm struggling to break the 45 mph barrier in spite of having plenty of hills around here.
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Post by Radchenister on Oct 2, 2013 19:03:49 GMT
I don't go for it often, warm and dry summer day antics really, even backed off when near Avebury with @billyadam up front recently due to strong cross winds making it feel seriously dodgy - it's the wrong time of year to be discussing this issue really; unlike the 'dawg ring' on the levels and 'hills' threads, which can apply all year, we must say: DON'T START AIMING TO LEARN TO DESCEND FAST AT THIS TIME OF YEAR!!!
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Post by Deleted on Oct 2, 2013 19:09:35 GMT
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Post by william39 on Oct 2, 2013 19:12:24 GMT
Cheers Rad and everyone, some good advice and grteat vids.
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Post by Deleted on Oct 2, 2013 19:34:38 GMT
Yeah that was incredible.
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Post by Deleted on Oct 2, 2013 20:15:27 GMT
I don't go for it often, warm and dry summer day antics really, even backed off when near Avebury with @billyadam up front recently due to strong cross winds making it feel seriously dodgy - it's the wrong time of year to be discussing this issue really; unlike the 'dawg ring' on the levels and 'hills' threads, which can apply all year, we must say: DON'T START AIMING TO LEARN TO DESCEND FAST AT THIS TIME OF YEAR!!!For some reason the last part of your post has made me wonder if we have any members from the Southern hemisphere? Some great tips as always Rad. My tip for everyone would be to be cautious now to be thankful later. If you're unsure of yourself simply go slower (it'll hurt no-one except maybe your Strava segment, but you can always get that KoM another time). When I did the C2C a few years ago there was a few lads (not in our group) who me & a friend had managed to latch onto as they were faster than the other lads we were with. So we'd agreed to ride with them and arranged to meet up with our mates later at a rendezvous point. When it came to descending we were following the other group's lines & were picking up a pretty fast pace (easily 50-60mph). About halfway down a descent in the Lakes we were going through a wooded section on this long, windy & single carriageway road and there was a really sharp hairpin bend ahead. The bloke leading out the group was riding the racing line to the corner (as if the road was closed), which potentially on other hills could have been fine, but this one was a blind corner due to the trees. Once I'd seen the route he was taking around the corner I had a horrible sinking feeling in my gut and started to feather my brakes in anticipation. Sure enough a screech of tyres and a loud crash later (it was probably only the milliseconds it took for me to ride around the corner, but it felt like an age), I rounded the corner to see the bloke and his bike strewn on the floor and a mortified looking minibus driver. My friend was working voluntarily at the local hospital back home (he was in the process of applying to go to uni to study medicine) and so immediately sprung to action, making sure the bloke wasn't moved & what have you. The bloke's two mates were completely in shock & were rooted to the side of the road, almost eerily frozen in time (if you couldn't see them breathing you would have thought they were statues) and their faces were deathly pale. Anyway, my friend attended to the bloke, his friends and the driver and as we were in the back end of nowhere in the Lakes (and there was no signal) it was my job to ride about 3 or 4 miles until in signal where I rang an ambulance and waited for them to arrive to then direct them to the accident. By this time our mates had caught up with us and as the ambulance was attending to the bloke, we passed on our best wishes to his mates & they thanked us for our help. When we reached the hostel for the night we turned on the tv to the local Cumbria news & found out the bloke had been killed. Needless to say it had put a dark undertone on that day of the C2C and it's something that has always stayed with me. Sorry for the huge post lads and lasses & I hope I don't scare some of you from riding or even descending fast, I just think if something doesn't feel right - either the weather or your own confidence then hold off & go slower, it won't hurt you and you can always go faster down that descent another time.
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Post by captslog on Oct 2, 2013 20:25:01 GMT
I don't descend quickly. I could go a lot faster but despite the advice above, I often use the downhills to take a breather. I'm not in a race, although I'm sometimes challenging Strava, so why do i need to go that quickly?, it's dangerous enough for those that know how, are on top kit and have the roads closed.
It's not my skill that holds me back either, like Rad I was well used to going stupid speeds on a motorbike and getting it right. But I know that I can't stop safely in any distance that's going to make a difference at high speeds on a pushbike, therefore I take it easy.
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