Do You Feel 'At One' With Your Bike When Descending At Speed?

furiousox

Just wondering if you feel you and the bike are in perfect harmony on a fast descent?
I never really feel that I'm 'at one' with the bike, more that I'm a passenger perched on top and just hanging on!
You can see as a pro cyclist descends he's hitting incredible speeds, gently feathering the brakes and taking corners in a beautiful wide sweeping motion.
I haven't got that relaxed fluid motion that they have, shifting their body weight left and right as required while entering corners etc.
I'm trying to work out why and I'm putting it down to several factors.

They're lighter and they have better core flexibility.
They're racing on closed roads so they know there's no danger of oncoming traffic and they can use the entire width of the road to take a corner.
I'm wondering if I need to play around with my bike setup (lower saddle?) to see if that makes a difference but I'm inclined to think that my weight (14st) and (lack of) flexibility may have a lot to do with it as I struggle to get low in the drops for any length of time.
I know if I was a couple of stone lighter it would make a difference to ascending but would it help on the descent as well?
Thoughts?

Inquitus

furiousox wrote: »

Just wondering if you feel you and the bike are in perfect harmony on a fast descent?
I never really feel that I'm 'at one' with the bike, more that I'm a passenger perched on top and just hanging on!
You can see as a pro cyclist descends he's hitting incredible speeds, gently feathering the brakes and taking corners in a beautiful wide sweeping motion.
I haven't got that relaxed fluid motion that they have, shifting their body weight left and right as required while entering corners etc.
I'm trying to work out why and I'm putting it down to several factors.

They're lighter and they have better core flexibility.
They're racing on closed roads so they know there's no danger of oncoming traffic and they can use the entire width of the road to take a corner.
I'm wondering if I need to play around with my bike setup to see if that makes a difference but I'm inclined to think that my weight (14st) and (lack of) flexibility may have a lot to do with it as I struggle to get low in the drops for any length of time.
I know if I was a couple of stone lighter it would make a difference to ascending but would it help on the descent as well?
Thoughts?

The roads they descend on aren't full of potholes, nor do they have gravel at the apex, or perhaps some sheep taking a stroll across the racing line. I don't know if I am at one with my bike on descents, but I am definitely not at one with my roads on descents.

chakattack

If you get the right road/conditions them sometimes yes. Being able to stay in the drops is important as it's much more stable.

I'd say for the pros it's mostly practice but flexibility and bike fit (weight distribution) help. Getting paid to go stupidly fast or get fired if you don't is an incentive. I imagine the heavier you are the better, helps stay "planted" to the road.

I'm sure they make it look smoother on tv than it is, the bike is probably vibrating and bucking just as much as it is for us.

doozerie

I don't know what the accepted wisdom on this is but in my view good descending comes from a combination of several factors, some of which are interdependent:

* good bike control i.e. being a confident bike handler
* being relaxed (which can stem from being a confident bike handler)
* good bike position - if you feel you are fighting the bike, due to poor bike fit, then it's very hard to feel relaxed
* faith in you tyres
* knowing the roads - you'll always be more cautious/cagey on a road that you are not familiar with since you don't know how severe the imminent bend is, what the road surface is like, the likelihood of a possible obstruction just beyond sight (e.g. a junction, entrance to house(s),...). It's certainly possible to read certain things about a road first time down it, but it can be tricky.

etc. Correct bike fit is in your direct control, though it's not always easy to achieve. I find descending on my current (fitted) bikes much better than on my previous bike where the reach was too long, the distance to the bar drops was too much, and the saddle was too high (lowering the saddle lowers your centre of gravity, which can help with bike handling). Good bike handling comes with time and practice, and everything else follows from there I think. To my mind body weight doesn't really play much of a part, unless you are so big that moving around on the bike is difficult and/or slow perhaps - likewise for flexibility.

Mountain biking is a great way to develop bike handling skills - you are always having to watch for a good line when riding offroad and this makes doing likewise on the road second nature, which really helps on a descent. Generally mucking about on a road (or any) bike helps too - for example, on my commute I track stand at most red lights, I bunnyhop things at times, I kick the back wheel up when stopping quite often, etc., all of which are unnecessary but when done daily contribute more and more over time to a degree of confidence in handling a(ny) bike.

Jawgap

If you call the deathgrip I usually have on the hoods 'being at one' then, yes, I am totally at one!!

Depends on the descent - decent gradient, good surface and sweeping bends and I reckon its as close as you can get to flying without growing wings or strapping one of these on.....

Cookie_Monster

yeah in general, up until about the 70kph mark where it starts to become a bit twitchy

michael196

depends on how much rattle the rad surface is throwing at the bike. if its smooth or like going over hard cornflakes !!

feck sake lads

i was a demon descender up until i broke my colorbone and that happened at about 10mph on black ice.
the trick or secret is no fear:cool: i hit over 60 mph coming down a descent in spain even managed 50mph on the coolies but not any more .
been set up on the bike has nothing to do with it thats a fact, if your anyway fearful you will never descend at high speed no matter what.
take it easy boy enjoy the scenery you know it makes sense:D

kincsem

It doesn't make sense to go at max speed on a descent if training or in a sportive.

A 3 km hill:
uphill at 15 kmph takes 12 minutes
downhill at 80 kmph takes 2 mins 15 secs
downhill at 60 kmph takes 3 mins 0 secs

Why take a big risk for a 0 mins 45 secs gain?

I commuted on a motorbike for a few years, and I feel that experience helps a lot picking lines.

FISMA

furiousox wrote: »

Just wondering if you feel you and the bike are in perfect harmony on a fast descent?

You better, or you'll be asking for trouble...

Harrybelafonte

kincsem wrote: »

It doesn't make sense to go at max speed on a descent if training or in a sportive.

A 3 km hill:
uphill at 15 kmph takes 12 minutes
downhill at 80 kmph takes 2 mins 15 secs
downhill at 60 kmph takes 3 mins 0 secs

Why take a big risk for a 0 mins 45 secs gain?

I commuted on a motorbike for a few years, and I feel that experience helps a lot picking lines.

I agree with this. However, as someone who used to be terrified descending and can hold it together a bit better now I like to test myself a bit, more to prove to myself that o can do it now.

However, Doozerie made exactly the points I would have made. I personally think staying relaxed and picking your line are the most important. I've had a blow ou in my front wheelt at 50kph on Slieve Mann last year which almost threw me because I panicked whereas on this year's WW I had a blowout at over 60 and was able to remain calm despite the length of time it took to slow and the wobble (though it was also the rear wheel). Mountain biking, the few times I've done it has really helped.

I'd also agree with OP re your own weight. I'm sub 14 stone at this stage (haven't weighed myself since I managed that in case I ever went back up, ignorance is bliss) but was a few stone heavier last year and beyond and when descending it took a lot more to stop me than lighter friends. You can become obssessed with the idea of gravity V mass and figure it takes greater stopping power to stop you than others, but what you really need to prove to yourself that you can stop yourself and then build up from there. Tis better to descend at a smooth, consistent speed than plummet then brake hard then plummet etc

All this is moot for me however if I can't see a good chunk of the road in front of me. If there's lots of corners I usually descend at half my normal speed.

Safety above all else. If I fall badly on a descent in Wicklow and feel sore, but not bad enough for hospital, who's going to get me back to NCD.

smacl

Depends very much on the hill for me, specifically the gradient, corners, visibility and how well I know the road. For example, I tend to be in the zone going down Glenmacnass, and the old long hill, but hanging onto the brakes a bit going down by lough bray and down slieve mann. If the gradient is too steep, I tend to slow right down, which can make the descent quite tiring, but it only gets scary if the fingers are getting too cold or tired. Drops all the way for me going downhill, I just feel much better connected to the bike and road, and don't like descending in the hoods at all.

That said, I'd also be a slow descender. Mid 60s is my max comfortable speed on hills I know well and early 50s more typical. If I'm outside of my comfort zone in terms of gradient etc... that would drop right down to early 40s.

Diarmuid

Harrybelafonte wrote: »

I've had a blow ou in my front wheelt at 50kph on Slieve Mann last year which almost threw me because I panicked whereas on this year's WW I had a blowout at over 60 and was able to remain calm despite the length of time it took to slow and the wobble (though it was also the rear wheel).

Two blow outs on descents in two years seems like a lot?!

Harrybelafonte

Diarmuid wrote: »

Two blow outs on descents in two years seems like a lot?!

Well, to be completelty honest I'm being overly dramatic on the second one. The tyre did blow out on the first, the second was a very sudden expulsion of all the air in the tube, the tyre was intact. I'm falling foul of FOX News methods and exaggerating the facts to emphasise my point. Sorry.

daragh_

Without a doubt I am the worst descender of anyone I've cycled with in the last 3 years.

In the last few months I seem to have gotten worse. I can be happily sitting in the group on a club spin but as soon as we hit any kind of extended drop I'm out the back. I can usually catch up on the next climb, but the extended effort takes it's toll and it is wrecking my head.

It's getting so embarrassing that I may have to seek professional help.

Maybe we can set up a support group?

I'm starting Mountain Biking in August in the hope that this will improve my confidence in terms of bike handling etc.

lennymc

without wanting to sound like an ass, i like to think im a handy descender. I have confidence in my ability to get the bike round the corner, and i dont mind a 'loose' bike under me. Ive had front wheel punctures while descending (no blowouts) and have come across gravel out of corners.

I raced motorbikes - which has helped me in my cornering, and weight distribution on the bike. going through debtors at 140 mph is wayyyyy scarier than any corner ive ever experienced on a push bike. IMHO and in my experience, body position is really important, as it contributes massively to weight distribution on the bike, which will affect how the bike feels.

I also do quite a bit of mountain biking in the winter, where the bike is very loose (wheels tracking in roughly the direction your pointing them). This helps me relax on the bike, which is very important. Th front wheel will slide a bit, the rear wheel will slide a bit, but most times the bike will head away in the direction you want. Sometimes you crash Full body armour helps.

So, my tips for descending (ymmv, try them at your own peril etc)
Stay relaxed on the bike. If you have a death grip and tensed elbows, or legs, any movement you make is transferred to the bike. I like to descend with my elbows bent and loose, with a soild (but not rigid) grip on the drops, covering the brakes and feathering as required. Use your elbows and knees as shock absorbers to isolate as many of the bumps on the road from your body as possible, resulting in a smoother ride.

Position on the bike. I tend to hold myself about an inch off the saddle on bumpier sections when going downhill, again, this helps isolate the bumps from the rider.

Confidence in your abilities. You must have confidence in your abilites to control the bike in fast descents. Anyone can sit on a bike at whatever speed on a downhill, but you need to be able to anticipate and react to any potential hazards on the road ahead of you. When I say abilities I mean the whole package, not just how you handle your bike. Read the road ahead, keep your eyes up, follow the vanishing point (where the tarmac disapears going round a corner), use road furniture to see the turn of the road, use road position to maximise your view around a corner, and a whole lot more. Again, going back to the motorbikes, I did advanced training and applied a lot of what i was throught to bike riding. I will allways try to ride round an obstacle rather than brake (where possible), and i will allways be aware of needing an escape route.

Ride your own course. Riding based on other riders road position is also bad. If they make a mess, you will automatically follow them. if im behind a rider on a descent, and i cant get by him, i will kind of stick my head out and look past him, and make any decisions based on what I see, not on what the rider in front of me does. If they are riding beyond their limits, the may crash, and if you are following them, you will crash too.

Confidence in your bike. If you dont have confidence in your bike, you shouldnt really be ridining it. you must know that your bike is in 100% working condition. Brakes are good, tyres are good, drive train etc are good.

you go where you look! Keep your head up, and your eyes on the road ahead. I break the road up into near, middle, far. I cant really do anything about near so it gets the least of my attention. (besides, i should have seen it). Middle gets a bit more of my attention, because i may be able to do something about it. Far gets a good deal of my attention, as its the one i can do most about and adjust my course accordingly. Another thing to avoid is target fixatio. If you fixate on something (a tree, gravel, a pothole, wall etc) you are more likely to hit it. If you notice pro riders never look where they are, but rather where they are going. So, keep those eyes up!!

Accept that you may crash. This is probably one of the hardest things to do. If you accept that you may crash, and it may hurt, then (imho) you have gotten over a huge mental barrier. Obviously do your best not to crash, but, sometimes your best is not good enough.

Weigh up your pros and cons and make a decision on wether you want to descend faster or not. I descend fast cos im slow going up climbs. I race a4 and hopefully next year want to move up a category, so i need to keep my descending skills sharp (at least thats what i tell myself, i also love speed). Cycle to your strengths and all that

Thats kind of all i can think of at the moment, im sure there are some more things, if they come to me i will post them.

hopefully this will help a few people, but as stated, you try it at your own risk. i accept no responsability for anything.

Harrybelafonte

Excellent write up Lenny. Wondering if others who do MTB find that the odd fall on the mountains allows you to let go of some of the fear. Small falls I mean.

bogmanfan

I'm a terrible descender, and it's my least favourite part of cycling. It's no problem when I'm out by myself, but on club spins I'm constantly getting dropped on descents, and then having to haul my 97kg up the next climb in order to get back on. Did a long, fast club spin around Blessington lakes and Hollywood yesterday morning. Plenty of descents, and my max speed for the day was just over 50km/h. Even at that kind of speed I just feel really uncomfortable on the bike. I have only been cycling since last September though, so maybe my confidence will grow as I get more experienced. But for now I just haven't the nerve to go at speed.

squeaky crank

interesting thread - I feel far less confident now than 5 years ago, I think it is based on a collection of near misses and a few falls have collected in the self preservation part of my brain and its telling me to cop on and slow down - I will do the odd 70+kph if I get a nice surface with visible bends but for the most part I feel the risk of going to wide and ending up under a car coming around a bend is enough to dampen down the thrill seeker in me.

Lumen

I think the objective with descending should be to descend better, not faster. Once you can descend well you can add speed safely without turning it into a game of roulette.

Focus on the symptoms of poor descending, like going back on the brakes mid-corner, or finding yourself surprised by a tightening bend radius.

I prefer to descend with an "empty brain", not relying on any memory of the roads; this is convenient as I have a crap memory. Thinking you know what's round the corner is a very, very bad idea.

Much of good driving technique applies equally to descending on a bike, like limit point/vanishing point analysis.

Descending like a pro is completely different. They must rely on memory of a descent as doing limit point analysis would result in getting dropped. When they get surprised they often crash, but that's racing and the ambulance isn't far away.

doozerie

kincesm wrote:

It doesn't make sense to go at max speed on a descent if training or in a sportive.

No it doesn't, but to many people it also doesn't make sense to don lycra (or not) and voluntarily pedal a bike for several hours at a time. It's fun though, which is simultaneously perhaps both the best and most illogical motivator going.

mcgratheoin

Great advice Lenny - I'm a decent descender and you've articulated the skills necessary much better than I could. I've had a few crashes while descending, the latest at 50kph on the tour de Burren, but I've been lucky with most of them. I would add to your don't be afraid to crash point that you often get a second or two before you crash where it's inevitable, and there's a lot you can do in that short window of time to minimise the potential injury.

1. You're going to crash, there's no way out, accept it and don't try anything even more dangerous to recover - e.g. I came around a bend, lost a rear wheel and ended up heading straight at a car on the opposite side of the road - I didn't try a kamikaze mission to go around the car, I just headed for the ditch
2. Try to pick the best spot for landing in - obviously look for softer materials, vegetation etc. remember that briars and nettles are a hell of a lot softer than stone walls or rocks so don't be afraid to ditch into a patch of thorns - I ended up with a leg full of bloody scratches but nothing broken
3. Relax - I know it's hard, but try not to be too tense. Think about taking a hit in rugby or some contact sport where you can let your body absorb the impact.
4. Lift yourself off the saddle a little bit - you don't want the frame to catch you between your legs

Lumen is spot on with descending better rather than faster though - a lot of the improvements you make will actually help you to go faster in the long run (e.g. brake before a bend and you can accelerate out of it)

Frere Jacques

Hi folks,

I think Lenny has most of the points covered. As he said the road furniture is key; trees, ESB poles etc., and the vanishing point. If the point is getting closer the bend is tightening up so slow it down.
One thing I use on high speed cornering is steering by "opposite lock", this may explain why the pro's look so at ease zooming around a bend. This is best practiced in a quiet estate with no kids playing on the road where you can see around a corner, like going around a green.
If this is what you do anyway then ignore this .
Some beginners go into corners balanced on the center of the bike and steer into the bend. Problem is if you are upright and the bend gets worse then it can be hard to get the center of gravity over to one side.
Lets say you have a left hand turn. Instead of turning the handle bars keep the bars straight and lean into the left, pressing down on the left handlebar and glide around the corner. If the bend gets worse your body is already in the correct position and you just press down harder. So even though it seems the wheel is pointing to the right you will glide around to the left. I won't go into the alchemy of gyroscopic motion but try it out and you'll have much more confidence and hence relax a bit more. Plus you are in a better position to concentrate on other factors like potholes, wheel in front of you, etc.
Saying that, ideally you should never go into a bend at a speed that is too high to deal with unforseen hazards; slow moving farm machinery, slurry on the road, potholes, right turning traffic. And never cycle at a speed you are not comfortable with, it's meant to be fun.
One note on gravel on a bend; freewheel through it. If you can get your speed down before hand fine, but don't try lashing on the brakes as you go through it as you'll end up on your butt. Chances are even if there is a bit of slip, you'll freewheel through it fine.

lennymc

definately agree with lumens point about being a better descender rather than a faster descender. Also, I allways try to have an escape route - what i mean by that is somewhere I can go that will either allow me to avoid a hazard, or if i cant avoid it, minimise any hurt. As mcgratheoin says, it can hurt a lot less to come to a stop in a ditch than in a wall. Practice, relaxation and being smooth and confident will make you a better descender, and with that will come speed. IMHO.

That link lumen posted is excellent as it goes through some of the theory of going through a corner. I would add that lane position is something that a rider can add that a car driver cant. If you are coming to a right hand corner, and take up a position on the left hand side of the lane, you will see further around the corner than if you were in the right hand side of the lane. The right hand side of the lane would be a faster line through the corner as you would hit the apex, and travel less distance, but the left hand side of the lane would allow you to see a longer vanishing point.

these pictures show what i mean regarding lane position:


rider on the left hand side of his lane, can see further round the right hand corner


rider on the right hand side of his lane can see further round the left hand corner

lennymc

Frere Jacques wrote: »

One thing I use on high speed cornering is steering by "opposite lock",

Do you mean Countersteering?

Its kind of counter intuitive, and you dont really know your doing it

ROK ON

Big thanks Lenny.
I like descending but would hope that I am sensible.
If I can't see what's ahead then I descend reasonably slowly.

There is a descent that I know lime the back of my hand. The straight stretches are now more than a few hundred meters in length. It continually turns into blind corners (tree cover etc means you cannot see oncoming traffic). Furthermore it is wide enough for one car. Consequently I descend that road with extreme caution. Continually amazed by those who tear into blin corners with no ability to see oncoming traffic.
Hope is not a strategy.

I have seen three different ways of corner safely and quickly on descents.
What works best for me is to counter lean.
Turning left, the bike leans left, while I fully extend my right leg and let arm to shift my centre or gravity over the centre of the bike.
I find this works for me. Would be interested in seeing how others do it.

Interestingly my best ever descent was following the line of a motorbike marshal coming down the Conor pass. Just followed his line.

lennymc

one other thing i just thought off is braking. Braking going downhill is very different to braking going uphill and braking on the flat.

If you imagine your braking at 100% going uphill, you can brake as hard as possible and your back wheel will stay on the ground. Again, at 100% on the flat, if you brake with the same force, your back wheel may come off the ground. On the downhill with your 100% your back wheel will come off the ground. Picture yourself side on on the bike, and imagine a pivot right through the centre of your bike. If you are going uphill your front wheel will be above the pivot, and your weight distribution will be towards the back of the bike. If you are on the flat, your front wheel will be roughly level with the pivot point, but if you are going downhill your front wheel will be below the pivot point, and the wieght will be distributed towards the front of the bike. When you brake, its like putting more weight on the front of the bike, so you can not brake with the same force going down a hill as going up or on the flat.

This motorbike book explains about the amount of grip a tyre has, and how you use that grip. He used an analogy whereby a tyre has 100 units of grip. When braking at 100% you are using 100 units of grip. When turning at 100% you are using 100 units of grip. The idea is to figure out how you can brake or turn, based on the road conditions and not exceed your 100 units. 80 units of brake and 20 units of turn is bang on the limit. 81 units of brake and 20 units of turn is over the limit and the tyre cant cope. its all very interesting.

Again, i think with braking, practice is the key. I will sometimes ride as fast as I can then brake as hard as I can just so I get a feel for how hard i can brake in a given situation. This feeds into my earlier thing about confidence in the bike, and also confidence in my abilities.

hth

edit - if anyone wants a loan of that book give me a shout. its motorbike specific, but a lot of what it says can (imho) be transferred to cycling as a lot of the physics involved is the same.

07Lapierre

ROK ON wrote: »

Big thanks Lenny.
I like descending but would hope that I am sensible.
If I can't see what's ahead then I descend reasonably slowly.

There is a descent that I know lime the back of my hand. The straight stretches are now more than a few hundred meters in length. It continually turns into blind corners (tree cover etc means you cannot see oncoming traffic). Furthermore it is wide enough for one car. Consequently I descend that road with extreme caution. Continually amazed by those who tear into blin corners with no ability to see oncoming traffic.
Hope is not a strategy.

I have seen three different ways of corner safely and quickly on descents.
What works best for me is to counter lean.
Turning left, the bike leans left, while I fully extend my right leg and let arm to shift my centre or gravity over the centre of the bike.
I find this works for me. Would be interested in seeing how others do it.

Interestingly my best ever descent was following the line of a motorbike marshal coming down the Conor pass. Just followed his line.

If you were doing it right, the motorbike should have been following you!

furiousox

Just catching up with this thread now, thanks everyone-some good advice posted.
I'm going to sit down and dissect all the info now.
I suppose I was wrong to use pro cyclists as a comparison because you'll never see me descending Pantani style with my ass 5mm from my rear tyre.:D
It's not really a speed issue, more a balance issue, the whole shifting of the body weight left and right, moving the centre of gravity etc while maintaining a smooth line and feeling stable on the bike.
As a few others have said, I'm ok on a nice long descent with a good gradient and long corners.
I tend to brake too hard on blind corners, scrubbing off speed and having to build up momentum again.
Lenny seems to have covered this in his posts, might have to print them off and keep them for future reference!

Lumen

furiousox wrote: »

Lenny seems to have covered this in his posts, might have to print them off and keep them for future reference!

Don't read them whilst descending. That will end badly.

blueeyes22

furiousox wrote: »

Just catching up with this thread now, thanks everyone-some good advice posted.
I'm going to sit down and dissect all the info now.
I suppose I was wrong to use pro cyclists as a comparison because you'll never see me descending Pantani style with my ass 5mm from my rear tyre.:D
It's not really a speed issue, more a balance issue, the whole shifting of the body weight left and right, moving the centre of gravity etc while maintaining a smooth line and feeling stable on the bike.
As a few others have said, I'm ok on a nice long descent with a good gradient and long corners.
I tend to brake too hard on blind corners, scrubbing off speed and having to build up momentum again.
Lenny seems to have covered this in his posts, might have to print them off and keep them for future reference!

One tip to add which i find gives great grip when cornering is if for example you are decending into a left hand bend you should obviousley have your right leg straight but then when leaning in to the bend to push hard down through your right leg into the pedal which forces weight into the tyres and they grip more as you go around.

allez

This all brings back horrible memories of crashing hahaha. Luckily enough for me my youth has made me a good climber so i usually overtake lads that catch up with me on the descents, but my god im an awful descender anything faster than 65km/h has me in panic mode and reaching for my brakes when i probably don't have too. To be honest i used to have great faith in my ultremos but since i switched to gatorskins iv'e not been satisfied with their gripping potential, which is kinda strange considering my ultremos had no threads at all. Its left me very cautious, rather arrive alive than die in the middle of nowhere i guess.

dermur

Here's another very good article on the subject...

www.flammerouge.je/content/3_factsheets/constant/descend.htm

j@utis

bogmanfan wrote: »

I'm a terrible descender, and it's my least favourite part of cycling. It's no problem when I'm out by myself, but on club spins I'm constantly getting dropped on descents, and then having to haul my 97kg up the next climb in order to get back on. ...

It's my 2nd least favorite part of cycling. first least favorite is cleaning that follows the 2nd :mad:

Seaneh

The highest speed I've felt comfortable at was about 55kph, but it was coming down the hill from the Galway - Clifden road into Barna (any galway heads will know this road) and it's not an idea road to be doing that sort of speed, uneven surface and lots of gravel and bits of cow/sheep ****e all over it.
This was also on a Lapierre RCR, I felt fine but a bit on edge at that speed. at 50 I felt fine.
I reckon on a better road and on a bike with dropped bars, I'd feel more comfortable at a higher speed (even having a lower level of air resistance from the body position would make it feel smoother).

Generally I feel great going down hills at speed, but because I'm using a hybrid since I about october which isn't ideal for very high speeds I rarely get above 45kph these days.

Currently saving to take the plunge and buy myself a dropped bar bike, I've never really felt comfortable on one but I want to give it a go and try it. After I get it, I'll let ya know what speed I feel comfortable on a nice road on that and if I feel "at one".

Henlars67

j@utis wrote: »

bogmanfan wrote: »

I'm a terrible descender, [COLOR="Red"]and it's my least favourite part of cycling[/COLOR]. It's no problem when I'm out by myself, but on club spins I'm constantly getting dropped on descents, and then having to haul my 97kg up the next climb in order to get back on. ...

It's my 2nd least favorite part of cycling. first least favorite is cleaning that follows the 2nd :mad:

Small bit of white spirits on a cloth & you'll have all that cleaned in a couple of minutes. It'll just wipe straight off.

07Lapierre

furiousox wrote: »

Just wondering if you feel you and the bike are in perfect harmony on a fast descent?

Thoughts?

Yes I do!...My favourite part of Cycling. There's always room for improvement though. and as others have said, good decending technique, combined with knowledge of the road ahead = a fast decent.