Downhill at speed... is it normal to be terrified?

[yello]

Fear's good. It exists for a reason so don't be tempted to ignore it. With time and experience, your levels of confidence increase and your downhill speed will increase. For now, just stay within your comfort zone, try to relax and remain calm. Remind yourself that it's not a race.

A practical suggestion; don't allow the speed to get away from you. If you brake before the momentum increases then you'll keep your speed under control and never feel it's getting away from you.

Equally, don't be afraid to let go of the brakes for a few meters. It relieves pressure on the hands amongst other things. I find myself looking at the road surface ahead and deciding where to release braking (gravel patches for example). Try not to grab handfuls of brake either, pulling them on hard, try to - as much as is possible - brake gently, trying to reduce speed rather than stop the bike.

And if you're too afraid, get off and walk! As I say, it ain't no race!

 

[djb1971]

Just hang on, pedal faster and tuck in.

You'll know real fear when you take a bend too fast and you're running out of tarmac and heading for a dry stone wall*

*courtesy of itv4 TDF bingo game

 

[gavroche]

35mph is my limit going downhill for me, after that I put on the brakes. I always look well ahead to study the road surface and any bends coming. Must admit, I find going down much easier than going up.

 

[coffeejo]

I go through periods of being terrified on descents but generally love the thrill. Hit 40+mph twice yesterday and both times wished I'd gone faster.

As others have said, it's important to relax (the more tense you are, the more unstable the bike), look ahead not down so you can choose your line, use your weight as a counter-balance on corners, and have a well-set up bike so you're properly balanced to start with.

 

[cosmicbike]

I'm riding the brakes at 30mph, but I think that is more to do with mixing with traffic than fear of the speed. Road surface plays a huge part too, and that horrid gravelly finish is a feel one to make me slow down.

 

[JasonHolder]

Flat bar bike you are excused. Also if you are on aero bars.

But road bikes no.

 

[ScotiaLass]

I now regularly cycle down a steep hill from the canal path to my house.
It's a busy main road with a weird junction, which scares me more than the speed!
I can see car drivers thinking, 'oh it's only a bike' and jumping right out in front of me, even though I have right of way.

Yesterday I noted my speed at 26.3 mph. I know the road well, now but am always on the lookout for potholes and things littering the road.
I am still terrified!

 

[JasonHolder]

Yesterday I noted my speed at 26.3 mph.
I am still terrified!

I noted my speedo reading 26.3mph once too. Feel your pain

 

[Nigelnaturist]

Some descents I go for it, others like yesterday have me holding the bike back, knowing the roads help, always an eye on the upcoming road surface ect....

 

[SimonJKH]

It's mainly blind corners that will slow me on a descent. You only need some nobber car driver using the wrong side of the road once!

 

[Nigelnaturist]

It's mainly blind corners that will slow me on a descent. You only need some nobber car driver using the wrong side of the road once!

Get that on the level on some roads around here.

 

[JasonHolder]

It's mainly blind corners that will slow me on a descent. You only need some nobber car driver using the wrong side of the road once!

Could be straght descend and at 50mph you're going to be in trouble anyway. Hence my steady descending. Unless I don't fear having an off, then I will bury thyself

 

[I like Skol]

It's not the bike. It's mostly the rider and the conditions that limit the speed. Back in the day I've been within a whisker of 50mph on my MTB when I used to run a 52T big chainring. I've done 51mph on the road bike but have only managed around 48mph on the hybrid (despite several attempts). I think the 48T chainring on the hybrid is the limiting factor but I am sure that given a steeper hill I could wring another 2mph out of my cadence.

The main factor has got to be the conditions. Its no use going for the land speed record if you are not going to make the bends or stop at the junction at the bottom.

 

[Steady]

They get a little better.

Confidence in the bike that you're riding plays a massive part as naturally a new bike, or a bike you've just started riding again takes a bit of getting use to, feeling the balance, getting comfortable with it, testing the brakes and knowing when to brake, or if you need to take action in an emergency whether braking will be the best thing to do.

I use to fly down hills on my flat bar bike, then my attitude changed once I got a road bike, but I have noticed that my speed downhill is creeping up from 20mph but my level of fear about them isn't creeping down!

 

[I like Skol]

I'll just add that in my case although I seem to be limited to around 50mph this isn't due to fear of going faster. I just don't seem to be able to find anymore speed despite trying desperately to go faster. I am limited either by my fitness, my gearing or the steepness of the hills I am riding (although considering Holme Moss is one of my playgrounds that is perhaps unlikely?).