8 replies to this topic

[twosheds]

HI Guys- some more advice needed. I went to Mt gravat with my group on Saturday- did 3 repeats. Up was fine- Im fairly slow but have no problems managing it. Downhill however was another story. I felt like I couldnt allow myself to get any speed up because I couldnt easily slow the bike down. I managed to keep the speed to 22km/ hr all the awy down- how pathetic because i was scared.. Even at this speed when Igot to the bottom I found it difficult to stop ( the hill doesnt really end until you hit the t -intersection/ traffic light- not good< My hands and arms were aching from pulling the brakes so hard- this cant be right. I have had a few good suggestions from riders- but thought Id post here as I can take all the help I can get- and it might help others too. I dont mind other hills where it flattens out at the bottom- even the hill al Noosa was fine- I can get at least into the 50'skm/hr but keeping control and not picking up too much speed is a problem.
All the last advice was very helpful- I have improved my cycling significantly ( I have gone from 18th/ 20 (age group)in the cycle leg of my first tri to 8th /18-. At least Im under the bell curve now
twosheds

[paigebaby]

I have no advice, but i look forward to the answers as i also dont like going fast downhill from both a fear side of things and also not being able to stop.

[Fiftyplus]

Not knowing what bike you are riding, but some brands of brakes work better than others, make sure your wheel rims and brakes are clean and the grooves in the pads are not full of dirt. Also try to relax and don't be afraid of using the front brake, it will stop the bike quicker, and try to distribute your weight more to the back of the bike. Good luck you are not alone.

[FakePlasticTrees]

I think my average speed on flats is 22km/hr, wouldn't feel at all comfortable going that slowly down a hill. Gravity was invented to help people get down hills faster. Sit back, relax and enjoy. Nothing beats flying down a hill at 50+ks an hour wondering what is going to happen next.

[Nickelass]

My thoughts for what its worth

• Build up speed gradually on easier hills. It takes time to get used to the sensation of speed.
  
• Know that the faster the bike goes, the more stable it is through the angular momentum of the wheels.
  
• Make sure the pads and rims are clean - especially no oil on the rims.
  
• Make sure your tyres are fully pumped up. Flat or under-inflated tyres can "roll" reducing control.
  
• Lean into the corners - the more you lean the less the bike leans and the better the grip.
  
• Use the back brake when first braking then add the front brake once the back brake starts to grip.
  
• Distribute your weight to the back of the bike as much as possible.

Make sure you enjoy the experience and you'll learn faster.

Edited by Nickelass, 24 December 2009 - 11:12 AM.

[Colin]

Nickelass, on Dec 24 2009, 12:11 PM, said:

My thoughts for what its worth

• Build up speed gradually on easier hills. It takes time to get used to the sensation of speed.
  
• Know that the faster the bike goes, the more stable it is through the angular momentum of the wheels.
  
• Make sure the pads and rims are clean - especially no oil on the rims.
  
• Make sure your tyres are fully pumped up. Flat or under-inflated tyres can "roll" reducing control.
  
• Lean into the corners - the more you lean the less the bike leans and the better the grip.
  
• Use the back brake when first braking then add the front brake once the back brake starts to grip.
  
• Distribute your weight to the back of the bike as much as possible.

Make sure you enjoy the experience and you'll learn faster.

Good tips...the main thing is that it is something you have to get used to, and even then some people will always be much better than others no matter how much experience...fear factor, skills downhill etc. I used to ride a motorbike fairly fast in my youth so I think that helps.

I rarely use the back brake...but again that is an experience thing...you stop quicker and with weight at back the back wheel won't lift. Back brakes come into play for me as supplement when approaching a hairpin at 80km/h

Make sure the pedal on side you are leaning into is 'up'.

btw ...be aware of surface of road, wet, dry, oily, potholes, camber and how the bend tightens. Look ahead of where you are...try and picture the bend before you are in it...anticipate.
Always check brakes, steering (stem) etc before descending...even though I speed down faster than almost all I come across , I start slow and work into it.

Having said all that, I always dread what would happen if something fails...wheel, brakes etc when approaching a hairpin with cliff face ahead

Edited by Colin, 24 December 2009 - 11:26 AM.

[TynoMite]

If you're grabbing handfulls of brake lever and nothing seems to happen, check the pads and cables tension.
Do you take the front wheel off to transport the bike? Do you put the little brake release lever back down after you put the wheel back on?
Are you using both front and rear brakes?

Do you feel any grab at all when you first attempt to brake?
Downhill especially, squeezing on/off/on repeatedly might be more effective - kind of like the ABS system in your car.

[Colsy]

Sounds like you need a simple tightening of the cables to me.

[miners]

heaps of good advice above. Other tips that may help

when you're leaning into the corner and feel like you're under-steering, you need to lean *more*. Might seem frightening to do so, but that lowers your centre of gravity and gets you more balanced. Besides which, if you have a choice of falling in and sliding .v. getting flipped *out* of a corner, it makes sense to lean in.

Ride on the drops of your handlebars when descending. Same principle as above, your centre of gravity is lowered making it easier to corner.

Brake as you would in a car. Brake in, accelerate out.

but yes certainly get your bike serviced, and make sure your fit is good. If you're likely to be doing a bit more downhill riding (proportionately) you may want to change to your position in the front end