I'm sure this has been covered before but I couldn't find the thread.
I'm am still really cr@p going down hills. Most places I cycle are hilly and I've really improved my leg strength and speed up hills and on the flat is improving, but down hill I am such a woos. I sit on the brakes and go pathetically slowly.
Any ideas how I can improve??
Comments
<eagerly waits for advice on this>
I'm terrified going down hills. Especially if theres a bend in the road too.
I'm with you there,too. One solution is to disconnect your brakes .
The answer is likely to be that you get faster as you gain experience and confidence. I'm fairly happy letting everyone else zoom past me on the downhills, then start pushing before the bottom when it's slower anyway, so I've got a bit of momentum for the uphill. Rather that than ending up in a ditch .
I'm slow up and downhill
and on the flat
even with a following wind
It's practice, practice and more practice. It also helps riding behind an experienced rider and following their line down the hill. Been doing some of that lately with our trainer. I'm ok on the aerobars on a fairly steep hill as long as it's not too twisty - if there's a lot of sharp bends I tend to brake too. There's a massive climb near here that our club triathlon goes over, it's 11km to the top but the downhill is really scary, quite steep and very long, there's a few bends but the worst is near the bottom, it's a horseshoe, I brake so hard there I'm almost standing still when I go round it!
Agree absolutely about MTB, it's wonderful for teaching you better bike handling skills. Need to get out more on mine.
Go cycling with Waff and follow her. The girl is fearless.
Best with lots of whooping (to cover the nervous laughter).
I am the complete opposite!!!, I can't help but go down any hill without going hell for leather!!!, I am always trying to beat my top speed record (32.8mph).
I have always been a bit of a speed freak, one of the reasons I sold my motorbike!
As seen on the little Devil I can't go uphills but I can go down them. 43mph top speed down river hill.
The secret is to not worry about your wellbeing and what happens happens.
just go for it ........wahoooooooooooooooooooooooooooo down hills, it make up for the slow ascents in my case.
My top speed ever was 51 mph following a car down a long straight decnt never agin though, that was scary
oh my ky brod dost seem tbe wrking prprly
or is it on ber to mny... hic
You should take a hill at the speed you think is safe. If that means you get off and walk then so be it.
Going really fast down hill is fun until you hit the wall at the bottom
I think my top speed on MTB is 30 something (on Tarmac!). I can't think of any Tarmac hills that were too steep to ride down not really clocked what my top speed was I'll keep a lookout. I'm on flat bars though, but I have ridden drops and I was OK.
The road was really gravelly and pot holey and steep. And my bike was new, lol.
Soup - the hotelier called his wife or your OH did?
Another here grateful for the top tip of counting. Thanks Melds... I got to 2 (counting very fast!) before braking. Next time I'll close my eyes!
hahaha....not just me then Ironwolf. People be warned - always ask about downhills on a ride not just the ups!
LN - hotelier phoned! he'd even done it an hour before we got there cos he already had a thought that I wouldn't be able to do the descent.