Make Your Cycling Go Downhill Fast

By Fred Matheny

Hankering for a near-death experience? Try following Colorado cycling coach and fabled endurance athlete, Skip Hamilton, on a curvy mountain descent. Hamilton descends at warp speed, chuckling and grinning all the way.

Several years ago during the Furnace Creek 508 in Death Valley, I watched from the follow van as Skip descended towering Towne Pass, in the dark, at speeds well over 50 mph. He blasted down the straights in a full tuck, caught air off the tops of rollers, and leaned the bike frighteningly far in the corners. And this was in a howling crosswind that threatened to catch his front wheel and make the bike shimmy uncontrollably.

Does Hamilton have a death wish? Nope. He's just extremely good at descending. You can hone your downhill skill, too. Here's how:

Trust Your Equipment

• Descending is all about confidence and nothing robs you of confidence faster than misgivings about your equipment. Will my tire blow? Are my brake cables securely fastened? These aren't 50-mph questions.

• Check your tires for proper inflation and cuts in the tread or sidewall. If you use tubulars, make sure they're securely glued to the rims.

• Check your brakes and replace brake pads if they're worn.

• Adjust the headset if necessary because a loose headset can make the bike shimmy (see below).

• Your wheels should be true and in good condition. You don't want spoke breakage when you're going fast.

• You should always wear a helmet, but on fast descents good head protection is crucial.

Get Aero but Stay Stable

Take another look at that photo of pro racer Marcel Wust of Germany. Now forget you ever saw it. Descending while perched on the top tube can be a recipe for disaster rather than for an extra couple of mph. When you position your body in unorthodox ways it disturbs weight distribution on the bike, affecting its balance and handling. At least Wust isn't gripping the bar next to the stem, another way that riders attempt to improve aerodynamics. Of course that makes it much harder to reach the brake levers in case of emergency.

For safe and fast descending, here's the position:

• Grasp the handlebar in the drops with the brake levers in easy reach.

• Slide your hips slightly back on the saddle.

• Flatten your back for aerodynamics, but keep your head up so you can see down the road.

• Position the crankarms so they're horizontal. Divide your weight between the pedals and seat. Clamp the saddle nose between your thighs to help steer the bike. Grip the bars lightly.

• Relax your elbows and knees so arms and legs act as shock absorbers.

Cut Corners

Some descents are a straight drop, but many have curves or even switchbacks. The cornering technique you use on the flats works fine on fast downhills. You just have to set up each turn farther in advance, and look farther ahead, because your speed is greater. Click here for a primer on cornering.

Fine-Tune Your Touch

• Brake before the corner. Braking tends to straighten up the bike so if you brake while the bike is laid over in a corner it will go straight into the other lane or off the road.

• Feather brakes lightly to control speed. Don't grab at the levers.

• Squeegee your rims. On wet roads, brake lightly well before the corner. It takes a few revolutions to wipe water off the rims so the pads can actually get a grip.

Ride Within Your Limits

There's no reason to push the envelope on every descent. Wust and Hamilton wouldn't ride so radically if they weren't racing. Stay within your comfort zone. You want to enjoy the exhilaration of descending, not turn every downhill into a frightening experience by going too fast for your skills.

Escape Emergencies

Most descents are fun and fast, but occasionally strange things happen on your way down the mountain. Here are the most frequently encountered challenges and how to deal with them.

• Shimmy. If the bike begins to shake, clamp the top tube between your knees, feather the brakes to scrub some speed, and relax your hands and arms. Usually you'll be able to ride it out. When you get home, check the headset adjustment, wheel trueness, and frame alignment. (Check Bike Care for tips.)

• Sand or gravel. If you don't spot a slippery patch until you're already in the turn, straighten the bike slightly until you're through the slick area, then lay it back over to complete the turn.

• Wet pavement. If the road is wet, slow down and avoid abrupt turning. Keep your arc through curves as rounded as possible. Don't touch the front brake when the bike is leaned over.

Front tire blowout. Fortunately, blowouts with high-quality modern tires are extremely rare. If it happens, get your weight back. The front end will become squirrelly, so you're less likely to lose control if your weight's off it. Brake to a stop.

It's virtually impossible to make it through a downhill turn with a flat front tire. If that's when the tire blows, look for an escape route off the side of the road. If all else fails, lay the bike down and slide rather than hit a car in the other lane or tumble over a cliff. You'll lose some skin, but you're not likely to break anything.